


Every Day

by thepocketdragon



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: F/F, Heya
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-16
Updated: 2012-08-16
Packaged: 2017-11-12 06:55:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 26,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/487974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepocketdragon/pseuds/thepocketdragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naya and Heather realise their feelings for one another whilst working on a new film. HeYa RPF. Slightly AU.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Okay, so then cut to him running away from the coffee shop and dropping the latte on the floor…" Ashley looked inquisitively up at Heather, who was tapping away on her computer. "What do you think?" Heather nodded, "It's sweet. Like, sweet and sad at the same time. I've got a bit of dialogue that I think would work really well. Do you want to give me, like, an hour and then we can go over it?" Ashley nodded, high fiving her roommate as she walked past the sofa.

The pair had spent pretty much every waking moment since Glee had finished for a short hiatus working on a new short film. They had decided on a romantic comedy about a young coffee shop worker's blossoming relationship with a regular customer; he would come in at exactly the same time every day and she would encourage him to break his routine and try new tastes. Ashley had a few people in mind to play the male lead, and it was Heather's job to find the perfect girl to play the barista.

Once she had typed the final line, Heather sat up and stretched. Her cat, Zach was curled up asleep on the sofa next to her so she reached out and stroked him lazily. It had been so much fun to throw herself into a new project instead of Glee, she was in control here and got to exercise a part of her brain that remained dormant when she was filming. As much as she loved the show, the relentless demand for her to be perfect was not something she would miss when they finally wrapped the season. One thing she would miss, however, was the people. The group were best friends, spending all their time together on and off set had made them super close. The fact that she missed them after a few short days made her smile; she could never survive without them all in her life.

A buzzing from the arm of the sofa pulled Heather out of her thoughts. Opening the text, she smiled to herself. 'Party at mine Tuesday. Starts at 8, bring friends, bring food, but mainly bring yourself! Harry x ' Heather quickly picked up the phone and dialled the one person she knew she could count on to be going.

Naya was stretched out on the sofa, deeply engrossed in yet another re-run of Teen Mom. Since Glee was on hiatus, she had decided to use the majority of her time catching up on the reality shows backed up on her DVR. Her sister had visited over a weekend, but even then they had only left the house to buy food. Nickayla was just as obsessed with reality TV. Having more free time than her older sister meant that she could fuel the fire by adding additional gossip and a second opinion.

Naya had just finished reading the text from Harry when her phone rang. Smiling at the photo on her screen, she picked up.

"HeeeeeeMooooooo"

"Hey Nay!"

"I miss you! Are you coming to Harry's? What have you been doing? Wanna come over?"

Heather couldn't help but giggle at her best friend's enthusiasm.

"Whoa, Rivera. Calm. Yeah, I was actually just calling to ask you about Harry's. I'll take it you're going then?"

"Of course. I've missed everyone so much and we've only been off set for eight days."

Heather giggled at the realisation that she felt like it had been much longer.

"Anyway, what have you been up to?" Naya continued.

"Well, Ash and I are writing another film. Another romantic comedy short. I really like this one, actually. It's not been going on long but we're looking to cast it soon and get it filmed asap."

Naya smiled as she thought of the passion Ashley and Heather shared for their work. The films she had seen were hilarious and she wanted so badly to be in one of them.

"Heather? Would you mind if I auditioned for a part? I know we work together all the time but I'd love to get involved if you're alright with it. I had so much fun working with you and Ashley last time…"

Heather pondered this for a second. Naya was her best friend and she didn't want to appear biased, but Ashley had said that it was her job to find a pretty girl to play the coffee shop worker.

"Nay, I'll get Ash to send you a breakdown of the plot when it's finalised and a copy of the script we've been working on so far. I have a part in mind for you; I need to clear it with her but I think you'd be perfect. I'll talk to you about it at Harry's, okay?"

By the time Heather arrived at Harry's, the bass was shaking the windows. Cautiously, she stepped over Cory who was propped up against the stairs. 'HeeeeeMooooo, you're heeeeere!' he slurred, lunging forwards for a hug but missing completely. Giggling, Heather opened the door. The scene presented before her was one she was familiar with; every cast party seemed to go the same way.

There was a group of dancers in the centre of the room taking it in turns to battle one another. Curled up on the sofa, clearly deep in conversation, were Jenna, Amber and Lea. To the left, Dianna and Chris were in the kitchen learning how to mix the perfect cocktail with Telly. From the crowd of dancing bodies, Harry emerged clutching a bottle of beer. 'Heather! So glad you could make it. Can I get you a drink?' Heather smiled and nodded, taking the first drink he offered. Something was uncomfortable about the situation she found herself in; uncomfortable but all too familiar.

'Harry, have you seen Nay?' Heather asked, almost knowing what the answer was going to be. 'Yeah. Well, I know they're here but I haven't seen them for about half an hour. Probably about somewhere.' Heather nodded, and walked towards the sofa as Jenna beckoned her to sit with them.

'Hey hon,' Jenna smiled and embraced Heather. 'Glad you're here. Having a good time?'

Heather smiled and nodded. 'Yeah, I just need a drink before I can really relax. I've been so stressed lately.'

Amber looked up inquisitively. 'Heather, we're not working. How on earth are you this exhausted?'

Heather opened her mouth to explain about the film when the door behind her opened. Mark appeared first, adjusting his jeans and grabbing a bottle of beer off the side. Behind him stood Naya, who was tying her hair up and obviously trying too hard to make it look like she hadn't done anything in the bedroom.

'Naya,' Heather whispered as the girl leaned on her shoulder. 'Having a good night?' Naya looked nonchalant, 'yeah, it's okay. Yeah.'

The awkwardness caused by Naya's entrance was enough to cause Heather to get up, excusing herself in order to get another drink.

Telly, Dianna and Chris had made enough cocktails to fill a bath tub, and so Heather took it upon herself to drink as many as possible. She cursed loudly at the burning sensation in her throat after her fourth, maybe fifth, drink. Hearing a familiar voice behind her, she turned around to face Naya and downed another, grimacing at the strong taste of vodka.

Naya looked at her, concerned. 'Heather, how many have you had?' Heather shrugged, 'no idea. I wanted to talk to you about the film, but I'm too drunk now.' Naya nodded, 'yeah, you might be a little too drunk sweetie. Do you think you should go home?' Nodding and beginning to feel nauseous, Heather picked up her coat and went to the door. Clutching onto it with one hand, she attempted a wave with the other. She deflated at the sight before her as she went to say goodbye to her best friend; Naya was pressed against Mark, kissing his lips and running her hands in his hair.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naya and Heather realise their feelings for one another whilst working on a new film.

Heather slammed the front door behind her and crashed into a table. As she collapsed, face first, into the sofa she felt the tears come. Until that moment, she had not understood why she was so angry that Naya had spent the evening with Mark. It happened at pretty much every party, she should be used to it by now. But this, this feeling inside her, was more than anger. She was jealous.

Heather had always been close to Naya. Best friends since their first day together on set, they were rarely apart at work and were always in contact when they were at home. Their friendship had been pretty intense; they confided in the other when they wouldn't trust anybody else to help them. But now Heather was beginning to question whether she wanted this relationship to progress to more than a simple friendship?

Fuelled by drunken logic, she reached for her laptop. She needed to test whether they could go to the next level, and she had the perfect way to do it. The document entitled 'Coffee Shop Draft 1' was open on her screen. After altering a few lines and finishing the final scene, she found 'Alex (male lead)' and replaced it with 'Alex (second female, Heather)'. She then found the character 'Lucy' and added Naya's name. Satisfied with her work, she closed the laptop and put a post-it on top. 'Ash, finished the script when I got in. Take a look and let me know! Me and Naya as 2 female leads- lesbian comedy is the future'.

The next morning, Ashley wandered downstairs. The post-it on top of Heather's computer was an incoherent scribble, aside from the word 'Naya' which had been capitalised and underlined. Running back upstairs to try and get an explanation, Ashley was confronted with a rather pale Heather curled up in bed. 'Heath, did you finish the script? And what do you mean about Naya? I can't read the post it.' Hardly in the mood for a conversation, Heather just replied with 'script's done. Print off a copy and give it to Naya for me would you? I'm too hungover.' Ashley nodded and dutifully did as her housemate told her.

An hour later, Ashley was greeted by a similarly rough-looking Naya. The script was handed over in silence, the look on Naya's face was enough to tell Ashley that a conversation was out of the question.

Naya grabbed the blanket off the sofa and wrapped herself up in it. A fresh cup of coffee steaming away on the table, she settled down and began to read the script.

Alex: You've got a bit of cocoa just… (reaches and touches Lucy's face)… there.

Lucy: All gone?

Alex: Almost… (leans in and kisses her)

Naya re-read the stage direction. A kiss. Despite the pounding in her head, she knew that Heather had told her this would be a romance. What she didn't realise was that the coupling would involve another girl. It wasn't like Heather to leave out details like that. Huge, massive details. Of course, she had been fully prepared to kiss Heather as Brittany. She was happy enough playing a lesbian. But this was a little too close to home. A little too much like somebody was trying to get them together.

She liked Heather. They were very close friends. But there was nothing more there, was there? Naya thought back to the previous evening, one that had been mostly spent bouncing up and down on top of Mark with very little clothing on. She had had fun, yes. But it wasn't like she loved him. He was convenient, he was good in bed and he understood her need for no-strings sex. She had felt guilty afterwards, she always did, especially when she noticed how withdrawn and quiet Heather was. She wanted to make it up to her, promise not to hurt her, take care of her and love her like no man ever could. But she would do it in her own time. She didn't need someone like Ashley forcing them together before she really had time to understand what her feelings were.

Ashley's phone rang just as she walked back through her front door. 'Hello?' she answered as she picked up.

'Ash, I've read the script. What the fuck do you think you're playing at? I don't know what silly little matchmaking plot you've got in mind, but it's not going to work. I wanted to be in the film for the experience, not to get into Heather's pants.'

'Naya, I don't know what you're talking about. What about Heather's pants?'

'The KISS, Ashley. Since when has this been a lesbian drama? I mean, I'm not bothered but surely Heather is going to have something to say about this? Does she even know? If she finds out you've done this to try and get us together, she'll kill you.'

'I… I don't really know what's going on, Nay. I'll speak to Heather now and I'll speak to you later.'

Ashley stared at her phone, confused. Naya might as well have just called to tell her that she would be giving birth to a second messiah; this made no sense.

'Heather! Come down here, please. I need to talk to you.'

Heather was still pale as she walked down the stairs. Holding onto the banister for dear life, it became clear to Ashley that last night had been a heavy one.

'I've just had a really strange phone call from Naya. She kept talking about the lesbian kiss in the script… I know I didn't write it. Do you have any idea what she's talking about?'

Heather looked suddenly shocked. 'Shit, I must have done something last night. I was so jealous of her and Mark…' mumbling to herself, she grabbed her laptop and turned it on.

'Oh my God. I changed the parts. I changed them so that me and Nay would be romantic leads. Oh my God, Ash. I'm so sorry. I didn't even realise what I was doing. I was just so jealous and then I wanted to see whether she had feelings for me as more than a friend and so I changed it and then she would have to kiss me and oh Jesus she's going to kill me.'

Ashley took her friend in her arms and stroked her hair. 'Ssh, Heather. It'll be okay. We can save the film. Keep it as a lesbian drama; we could do a series of shorts about different types of love.'

Heather looked at Ashley with admiration. The girl was a genius.

'But if you feel this way about Naya, and if what she's doing with Mark is hurting you, you need to say something. Go over there this afternoon and talk to her. She's got it into her head that I've written the script this way to get you two together. You should put things right, and explain why you did it.'

Heather didn't bother with showering. If she knew Naya, she wouldn't have showered either. Comfortably dressed in a baggy t-shirt and sweats, she climbed into her car. The journey to Naya's wasn't a long one, but she had enough time to think about what she was going to say to the girl to try and explain her actions and her feelings.

The doorbell rang. Naya groaned and got up from her nest of blankets and pillows on the sofa. Peering through the peephole, she saw Heather. Despite looking like shit, Naya's heart fluttered at the sight of the girl. She opened the door and pulled her into her arms. Before she knew what she was really doing, her lips were pressed against Heather's. As she realised what she was doing, she went to pull away. Heather leaned into her neck and whispered 'don't stop.' Naya pulled Heather in through the door and closed it behind them. Pressing her up against it, she leaned in and kissed her again. Though her eyes were closed, and her lips were occupied, Heather swore she could feel Naya smile as she stroked her tongue against her lip.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

'Nay, what is going on with us?' Heather asked as they finally settled on the couch. Naya shook her head, 'You know what? I have no idea. I just know that these feelings for you have got stronger and that I'm okay with that. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner; it took reading the script to really understand what it was I was feeling.'

Heather looked into Naya's eyes. 'Do you think you're a lesbian?' Naya shrugged; 'I've had feelings for other girls before. I've never really had a serious relationship with a girl but I know that I could if I found the right one. I think I'm bisexual, if anything. Why, do you think you're a lesbian?'

Heather looked shocked. 'No. Absolutely not. I mean, I know I have feelings for you but I have never felt this way about another woman. I just don't think of women in a sexual way. I agree with what you said about me though; I want to be with you as more than just friends. These feelings aren't like anything else I've experienced. I think we would be stupid not to explore how we feel for one another.'

'So do we tell people? Are we fooling around or are we being serious? Tell me what you want, Heather. I'll support you.'

'I think we should take things slowly. I want to be serious, but we need to take the time to work out what is going on, how we work. People wouldn't understand what was going on if we told them now. I think they'd assume that, just because I'm attracted to you, that I'm gay. But I know I'm not and I don't want to be labelled like that.'

The next week marked the beginning of filming for the girls. The few days they had taken to learn lines and rehearse had all ended in the same way; snuggled on the sofa watching TV and just enjoying being with one another. There was always a kiss at the end of the night, and always the same beaming smile as they broke apart.

During a break from running a scene with Ashley as director, Heather excused herself to go and get snacks from the store. Seeing that the two-shot had been separated for a short while, Ashley took the opportunity to speak to Naya, who was deep in thought. 'Hey Nay, how's it going?' Naya smiled at Ashley. The girl always seemed so chipper, and had put her at ease during filming with her relaxed attitude. 'Not bad. I'm actually really enjoying myself.' Ashley smiled, obviously the enjoyment was due to one Heather Morris and not so much a cause of the film. 'Actually Ash,' the latina continued, 'I was thinking about taking Heather on a proper date tonight. What do you think I should go for?'

Following Ashley's advice, Naya quickly booked seats at the cinema for that evening. Heather had always been quite traditional, so the first date should probably be dinner and a movie. Wanting to be as gentlemanly and chivalrous as she could, she then called her favourite restaurant in town. Knowing what Heather's favourite foods were and how, being respectful, she was likely to order something cheaper than what she really wanted, Naya pre-ordered their meals so that they could be served as soon as they arrived.

As she hung up from the call, Heather walked back into the small studio carrying a bag of snacks and drinks for everyone. Naya grabbed a bottle and a packet, not really minding what it contained, and beckoned Heather into a quiet corner. 'So, erm, you know it's been like a week now?' Heather nodded, clearly trying her best to conceal a smile. 'Well, I was wondering whether you'd allow me to take you out tonight? I know you wanted to take things slowly, so I'm guessing I should probably do things right and date you first before we make things official.'

Naya shuffled nervously from one foot to the other. Heather just looked at her and giggled. 'Nay, you're so cute!' she said, throwing her arms around the smaller brunette. 'Of course you can take me out. Where are we going?'

'Ah,' Naya mocked seriousness in her expression, 'now that would be telling.' Heather looked concerned. 'No,' Naya smiled, reassuring her, 'just dinner and a movie.'


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Filming seemed to take forever to end. It was only the first day, but it felt like they had cut a full feature-length movie by the time they finished at 6pm. After a few minutes spent touching up make-up and fixing hairstyles, pretending that they couldn't see the other doing exactly the same thing and each hiding a smile as they realised that the other was making a special effort just for them, they got in Naya's car and drove to the cinema.

It was busy. Why Naya had imaged a huge multiplex in downtown LA to be empty at peak time, she had no idea, but she hadn't planned for this. Luckily, one of the staff recognised them both and ushered them into the screen via a private side door. 'I'll tell the clerk to leave a few seats around you for extra privacy if you'd like?' Normally, the pair liked to be treated as if they were nothing special, but on this occasion Naya simply nodded and smiled at the blushing girl.

The rest of the audience bustled in. As promised, they were mainly sitting on the opposite side of the room. Once the lights went down, they could have been in their own little private cinema. The darkness and absence of prying eyes boosted Heather's confidence. As the film began, she leaned into Naya and rested her hand on her thigh. Naya sighed in relief and nestled in to Heather, kissing her cheek lightly before turning back to watch the screen.

The film was average. There might have been some funny bits, but Naya hadn't really noticed. During the film, everything had gone horribly wrong at a dinner scene, and it had set her mind to worrying about the second part of their date. Had she ordered the right thing? Was the table going to be okay? Had she even mentioned in the call that she wanted the table in the corner, next to the mirror? She wanted everything to be perfect; this was a girl she wanted to impress.

Heather had enjoyed the movie for the first thirty minutes. After that, her body had begun to warn her of exactly how tired she was. The day had been punishingly intense, what with filming and directing at the same time, and the comfortable seats were not helping her. She was forcing herself to stay awake, willing Naya to move again and check her watch in the hope that the jolt of an elbow would make like an electric shock and wake her up.

As the credits rolled, Heather dragged herself wearily up from her seat and to the car. Climbing into the passenger seat seemed to take all of her effort, the comfort of knowing she was there relaxing her body and her eyelids. Naya climbed in beside her and fastened her seatbelt. She turned to her and opened her mouth to say something, but Heather jumped in first.

'Nay, do you mind if we skip dinner? It's just that I'm really tired and I want to go home. We can get takeout or something on the way if you're hungry?'

Naya just nodded. Heather went to continue but she stopped her; 'Heath, do you mind not talking for a bit? The weather's really bad and I need to concentrate.' Heather sat back in her seat, subdued.

Not wanting to broach the subject of eating again, Naya drove straight past the row of fast food restaurants and instead went straight to Heather's house.

Heather got out of the car, but leaned back into speak to Naya? 'Well, if this is a date, why don't you come in for a drink?' Naya nodded. She had no real reason to be mad at Heather. Yes, she'd planned everything down to the last detail, but she knew that being tired could have ruined the meal anyway. Plus, she didn't want to upset Heather. It was her fault; if she had just told Heather how much planning had gone into the meal, she wouldn't have been so blasé about going straight home.

Naya took a glass from Heather's hand and settled down on the sofa. Sliding in next to her, Heather put her drink on the table and leaned in to kiss Naya on the cheek. 'I had a wonderful first date with you tonight, Nay.'

The look Naya gave her confused Heather. She was upset, and a little shocked. 'Really? Because dinner was supposed to be the main bit. I didn't think you'd order what you wanted, which is steak, right? So I called ahead of time and I ordered for both of us so that you could just relax and not worry about ordering cheaper food because that's what you do on a first date. I'd spent all day worrying about making it perfect…' Naya looked dejected. Heather just took her hand and motioned for her to face her.

'Naya, you know you don't have to try hard to impress me. I'm not bothered about big gestures, or impressed by how much money you can spend on me in an evening. Spending my time with you made tonight perfect. I'm sorry about the dinner; I didn't know it meant so much. I promise I'll let you wine and dine me another time. But, this, just us being together is what it should be about. And I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be.'

Unable to think of anything more to say, Naya just pulled the girl into a soft kiss. Feeling the blonde's arms pull her in closer, she felt safe and wanted. Laying on a sofa with Heather, kissing her and telling her secrets and wishes with their lips locked, there was nobody else in the world that mattered. There was just her and Heather. Together. She let a smile grace her otherwise occupied lips as she realised that this was the best first date she had ever had.


	5. Chapter 5

The alarm clock woke Heather the next morning. Wearily, she blinked at the brightness of her phone as she attempted to turn off the beeping sound. A rustling from behind her reminded Heather that she was not alone. Rubbing her eyes, with the cutest frown on her face, Naya turned to face Heather. 'Does your alarm have to be so loud?' Heather smiled at the girl, mornings were clearly not the best time for her; 'Yes. If I'm not definitely awake, I'll just drift off again. Then I'd never get anything done. Naya settled back into the covers. 'Well, what if I want to drift off again?' Heather laughed, 'how about you take a few minutes to wake up whilst I go in the shower?'

As Heather stepped into the jet of warm water, she smiled as she realised that the pair had slept so close together. They hadn't done anything more than kiss, but the need to be near one another had meant that a half-asleep Heather had taken the smaller girl into her arms and cradled her all night. It was something she wanted to do again and again.

Naya rolled around in the sheets for a minute or so before growing restless. She was awake, and so the next thing on the agenda was food. As she walked down the stairs in an old t-shirt of Heather's and a pair of tiny shorts, she heard Ashley clap her hands. 'I knew it! I knew it! How was it?' The overt wink from Ashley was enough to make Naya laugh out loud; 'calm down Ash. We didn't do anything. Just slept in the same bed. Well, except this time Heather was the big spoon and she held me all night'. Naya hadn't really meant for that last bit to come out, but it seemed to satisfy Ashley who just handed her a box of cereal; 'breakfast?'

As Naya tucked into her cheerios, Ashley opened the curtains behind the kitchen sink. 'Shit!' she exclaimed. Naya looked up, mouth still half full, 'wha?' she managed to annunciate. 'We were supposed to be filming outside all day today. We're going to have to reschedule.' She grabbed a notepad off the side and began scribbing. After a few minutes she looked up. 'Okay, we can film the walking in the rain bit today, and maybe a couple of entrances because that way it won't matter if you get wet. But we can't do the barista bit today, because the equipment isn't coming until tomorrow….Which leaves, given the actors we have booked today, the conversation between the co-worker and the best friend… and the kiss. If we can get the props, that is.'

Heather walked down the stairs. Ashley began to explain but was stopped; 'I heard most of that when I was getting dressed. If you want to cover Ian and Lucy's scene this morning, Nay and I can head over to the store for props and coats and things. Then we can do all the other scenes this afternoon.'

Heather handed Naya her car keys from the side. 'You should probably drive, since your car is parked on the street anyway.' With that, she turned and headed towards the door. She was never normally this focussed, but it was the only way she could get through the day. The kiss had been at the back of her mind until now; she was panicking. What if it was too much? She and Naya were happy in their little bubble, but Heather definitely wasn't ready for the whole world to know how she felt. She would be acting, of course, but how easy would it be for somebody to read into the scene and deduce the truth? She wasn't ready to face that just yet.

The terrible weather meant that the shopping complex wasn't too busy when they arrived. However, to save time, Heather suggested that they split to gather props. She would buy a coat or two, an umbrella and some stuff from the hardware store whilst Naya tackled the supermarket.

There was a long list of things to get for the scene. It was set in a kitchen so they would need plenty of food to make it as realistic as possible. After collecting fruits and bread, Naya headed over to the bakery section for cookies, pastries and cakes. As she balanced boxes on top of a growing mountain of food, she heard a familiar voice from behind her. 'Now I know you like to eat, but don't you think this is a little ridiculous?' Smiling, she turned around; 'Dianna! How are you, baby girl?'

'I'm fine, thanks Nay. More importantly, how are you? What's with all the cake? Do you need an intervention… or therapy? There are people who can help.'

Naya laughed at the blonde, who was having a hard time keeping a straight face herself. 'Actually, none of it is for me. Hemo and Ashley are working on a new film over the hiatus and I have a part. I'm just helping out. What with the rain and everything, they've had to move scenes around.'

'Not quite the budget of Glee, then?' Naya smiled, Ryan probably had enough power to change the weather if he really wanted to.

'No, not quite. Look, I'm on a schedule and I need to get the rest of this shopping done, but I really want to catch up properly with you. I know we didn't really see each other at Harry's, so I'll call you in the week and we'll do coffee or something.'

By the time she got back to the car, laden with bags of food, Heather was stood waiting. 'You took your time' she commented, jokingly. 'Yeah, sorry about that. I bumped into Dianna whilst I was piling pastries into the cart. She said hi.' Heather nodded and helped Naya put the last of the bags into the back of the car. 'Did you say anything about me and you?' Heather asked, not really sure why, as she put her seatbelt on. 'No,' Naya said, 'I know you don't want anyone to know and I respect that. Plus, I wasn't really going to blurt out in the middle of a supermarket that the girl of my dreams likes me in the same way that I like her, and that we had our first date, slept like we were one person and that now all I can think of doing is kissing her and holding her…'

Naya trailed off. Again, her mind had overtaken and she had said more than she intended to. Heather just smiled, 'you really think that?' Naya nodded, causing Heather to take her hand and kiss it sweetly. 'Nay, you're so cute.' The two fell into a comfortable silence as they made their way back to the studio.


	6. Chapter 6

Heather put the finishing touches to the picnic blanket set down on the kitchen floor whilst Ashley briefed Naya about how the scene would go. 'We always said that we wanted this kiss to be as organic as possible, so we're going to set up plenty of cameras and just leave you both to it. If you need to do more than one take, so be it. Obviously Heather knows what she's doing with the equipment so take as long as you need.' Naya nodded and smiled, the idea that they would be alone was comforting. It meant she could be herself and take her time. 'Okay, and action!' was all she heard, before she felt her feet begin moving one in front of the other towards Heather.

Heather sat up and smiled. 'I said I was going to surprise you. What do you think?' She was sat cross-legged on a picnic blanket on the floor of what was supposed to be a restaurant kitchen. On plates and in baskets, Naya recognised the foods she had bought earlier that day. 'You like the look of everything?' Heather asked, trying her best to stay in character. She lifted up a plate of pastries. 'I knew you liked these, so I made a fresh batch this morning.' Naya smiled, 'everything is perfect'.

She took off her trench coat and sat next to the blonde. Seeing Heather under the studio lights, she could help but think about how beautiful she was. Heather patted the empty space next to her; 'sit with me' she said, smiling sweetly. Naya sat tentatively and looked around at the plates of food. 'You did all of this for me,' she said, a small smile creeping across her face, 'you are so wonderful.' Heather just smiled, picking up a plate and offering its contents to Naya. 'I want you to try one of these. I made them earlier. They're éclairs, but I tried something a little different.' Naya raised an inquisitive eyebrow; 'what is different about them?' Heather just smiled, 'try one and then see if you can guess.'

Naya tried to be as neat as possible whilst taking a bite of the éclair; she was on camera after all. She closed her eyes, savouring the taste. Heather had to try so hard to suppress the shudder that was threatening to take her whole body as she looked upon the girl sat next to her, innocently eating. 'Mmm', Naya nodded as she opened her eyes. 'Vanilla bean?' Heather nodded, 'is it good?' Naya simply smiled and took another bite. She looked up, concerned, as she realised that Heather had moved to lean back for something. Suddenly, she felt something warm being pressed into her hand.

'Something to wash it down with,' she explained, 'another new creation. You see, I know you like your hazelnut latte, but I thought you should try something else.' Naya smiled; 'you've made me see everything in a different light, Alex. Everything…. So what am I drinking now?'

Heather blushed at the exclamation, and took a deep breath before continuing. 'It's still a hazelnut latte, but I added a little vanilla sugar and a bit of cocoa to finish it off.' Naya smiled and took the cup to her lips, making sure to get a little of the cocoa dusting on her lips. Swallowing lightly, she put the cup down on the floor in front of her and turned to Heather, ready for the next line. 'Delicious,' she said, sweetly. 'You are a genius.' Heather laughed and pulled Naya softly towards her. 'You've got a bit of cocoa right…' she leaned in and brushed her thumb against the corner of Naya's mouth. '…there.' Naya looked directly into her eyes; 'all gone?' Heather moved her hand to frame her earlobe, fingers teasing long, dark hair. 'Almost.'

Heather took a split second to lose herself in Naya's dark eyes before closing her own. She felt Naya's breath hitch as she moved in closer, her hand still lost in the girl's dark natural waves. As she went to grace the lips of the smaller girl, she felt Naya push forwards slightly and take her bottom lip between her own. Everything was gentle, soft, quiet. All that existed was their two hearts, their two bodies in this one space.

Heather pulled away from the kiss and smiled. Naya leaned into her shoulder and kissed her gently on the cheek. It wasn't in the script, but it felt right. Turning to face the girl who made her heart beat faster and louder than anyone else, Heather took her by the hand. 'I've never done this before' she said quietly, 'but I never want to stop now that I've started.' She was the one who had written the script in the first place, but it was only in this moment that she realised exactly how true the words were. Naya stared into the blue eyes of Heather, 'I don't think I want to stop either.'

Later that evening, Ashley settled down at the computer in order to edit the footage they had from that day. There were various takes of Naya walking into the building from the rain, and a few filler scenes to get through, but the temptation was too much. She had to see what Naya and Heather had achieved with the scene they had filmed in the kitchen.

Heather tiptoed down the stairs. She wasn't sure whether Ashley was in bed but she didn't want to risk waking her if she was. She entered the kitchen, found a clean mug on the side and filled it with milk. As she took a sip, she heard a voice she recognised- her own. Walking to the side of the room, she could see Ashley at the computer, clearly looking through what they had done that day. She heard herself say 'almost', followed by a little squeal and clapping from Ashley. Heather couldn't help but laugh out loud at her best friend's reaction.

'Holy shit, Morris! You scared me.'

'Enjoying the scene?' she asked, raising her eyebrow at the girl.

'Oh my God, Heath, it's gorgeous. Like, the whole thing is just beautiful.'

Heather couldn't conceal the smile on her face.

'You really like her, don't you?'

Heather nodded ardently. 'You know, I really do. Like, I know it's early days but I'm serious about her. I really want this to work.'

Ashley simply turned and pulled her roommate into her arms, 'come here, you big softie!'


	7. Chapter 7

The following morning, Heather was pulled from the loveliest dream by the opening bars of 'Valerie'. Naya's soulful voice forced a smile out of the girl, who blinked a few times before managing to fully open her eyes and look at the screen. The number was one she faintly recognised. Confused, she answered.

'Hello?'

'Oh my God. Heather! I'm so glad this is still your number.'

'Lauren? Oh my gosh. How are you?'

'I'm fine. Really good actually. How about you?'

'I'm good. Yeah, I'm good. So are you working or…?'

'Yeah. I'm working at a studio in Phoenix now. It's going well. No need to ask you how your work is going, little miss superstar! Everyone back home is so proud of you, you know.'

Heather smiled, thinking of her dance teachers and old classmates. Leaving them behind in Arizona had been so sad for all of them. They were like a huge family.

'Anyway, Heather. I actually called for a reason. Joy has an audition for the new Rihanna tour in a couple days and she asked me to come with her for moral support. So I'm in LA. Like, right now. And I was thinking we should have drinks or something tonight. We both miss you and it would be so amazing to catch up in person.'

Heather grimaced, but shook the idea out of her head. 'Okay. I have plans tonight, but I'll see what I can do. I'll text you as soon as I know and then we can think where to meet. I can't believe you're here, Lauren! This is like the best thing ever. Okay, right, I'll call… Naya and get this sorted. See you soon!'

As soon as the call was ended, she dialled in one of the only other numbers she knew by heart and pressed dial.

Naya rolled over in her sleep. Her dream had taken a funny turn; she had been filming a scene with Heather and all of a sudden Ke$ha was there. Trying a tactic she adopted as a kid, she rolled over in the hope that her dream would return to all its romantic glory and 'Tik Tok' would stop playing. It didn't. Naya groaned, realising that the sound meant that her real-life phone was ringing and that she would have to move to answer it. Not bothering to see who was calling, she just pressed the phone to her ear.

'Naya's phone', she said sleepily.

'Hey, Nay' came a soft voice. 'Sorry to wake you up, sweetheart'.

Naya smiled at the realisation that the voice belonged to Heather. 'It's okay. I was just having a really weird dream. I'm quite glad you saved me, it was getting trippy.'

Naya could hear Heather laughing. 'Anyway, why are you calling at this ungodly hour?'

'Well', Heather began, 'one of my friends from home called to say that she's in town for a couple days with another friend of mine. And they've asked me if I'd like to meet them for drinks tonight'.

Naya nodded. They had made plans to hang out, but that was all. 'That sounds cool, Heath. You should go. Actually, I think I might invite Telly over to catch up on Real Housewives. Although, I'd hate to deny you that privilege.'

Heather giggled. 'It's torture Nay. Who do they even think they are? It's ridiculous. Anyway, as long as that's okay?'

'Yeah.'

'Cool. Well, I have to decide what to wear, and actually prise myself out of this bed. Plus, I think we're filming this afternoon with Nate. Anyway, I'll speak to you later. Have a good night.'

'You too' Naya replied, hesitating before she let an 'I love you' slip out.

Later that evening, Heather was sat in a restaurant with Lauren and Joy. The three had been friends throughout their childhoods; dancing and school meant that they saw each other more than they saw their families while they were growing up. As soon as the two brunettes had sat down, the connection between them was back. Heather smiled and laughed as the two recounted tales of their lives as dancers, and filled her in on the gossip about her friends from high school.

'Oh my God. Did you hear about Meghan Parker? ' Joy asked the other two, who shook their heads whilst trying to remember what she had looked like when they were all 15.

'Well, anyway. My mom was telling me that apparently she was engaged to Jamie Hudson, who was in my sister's grade, but then she broke off the engagement and is now pregnant with his brother's baby!'

Heather laughed out loud. Meghan had been at a rival dance school since she had known her, but when she transferred to Desert Mountain the two had become firm friends. That was until she caught her kissing her boyfriend after cheer practise one evening. 'Apparently some people never change' she offered to the others, who nodded in understanding.

'So, Morris. Has Glee left you too busy for a love life?'

Heather took a large swallow of her drink, knowing what was coming next.

'Well, we know what happened with Taylor. Your mom was devastated when you left him. Are you seeing anyone now?'

She couldn't help but blush and smile at the thought of exactly who she was seeing.

'She's blushing!' Lauren exclaimed, dramatically nudging Joy. 'C'mon, Heath. Who is it?'

Heather sighed. She really wanted to tell them, but she wasn't ready. 'I'm not telling'.

The girls both pouted and looked at her with eyes like the cat from Shrek. 'Spill, Heather! Come on. Our lives are so dull compared to your glamorous LA stardom. We wanna know!'

'Guys, I haven't even told my mom or my sisters yet.' She knew that would shut them up. Everybody, both in California and back home, knew how close Heather was to her family. After her dad's death, there was nobody on Earth she trusted more than her mom and her sisters. They were her everything.

'I'll tell you when I can. All you really need to know is that I'm incredibly happy with… this person… and that they make me very happy.'

At that moment, Heather felt her phone buzz in her lap. Her screen lit up.

Sender: Naya

Message: I miss you. Have a good night!

Naya put her phone back on the side. There wasn't much left to do but wait. She had ordered in a serious amount of food from her favourite Thai restaurant, which was all arranged neatly on the table. There were bottles of wine ready to go; the white chilling in the fridge, the red breathing on the side. As she put the final touches to her table, the doorbell rang.

'Heeey baby!' Telly pulled Naya what was essentially a bear hug. 'Hey boo' she tried to get out, her face squashed against Telly's chest, 'put me down now?'

Naya took a second to re-compose herself before greeting her next guest. The hug wasn't quite as tight, and this one sure smelt sweeter. 'Di, I'm so glad you could make it!' Naya said as the smiling girl stroked her arm. 'Well, we said we needed to catch up!'

'So guys', Naya said between mouthfuls of food, 'what have you been up to?'

Dianna smiled, 'I just got back from France. I didn't go for long but it was, like, amazing. I love it there.'

'Did you do Paris again?' Telly asked. Dianna shook her head.

'One of my friends lives out there now- she teaches American History at a university in Perpignan. So I stayed with her.'

'What did you do out there?' Naya offered.

'Well, I saw some amazing cathedrals and stuff. She lives practically in Spain so it was pretty warm. So we went out on boats and sunbathed on the beach and ate ridiculous amounts of food.'

Naya smiled. Dianna's travels always seemed to be so excited and adventurous. She then turned to Telly. 'So, baby boo, what have you been up to? Anything exciting?' Telly laughed. 'You guys might get time off, but I've been on set a few times. Just sorting stuff out. It's so quiet on the lot without you and your big mouths.'

Dianna and Naya feigned shock, knowing full well that they were ridiculously lively when together on set.

'Anyway, I have had a few days off so far. I went shopping, caught a couple movies and spent most of it on my couch with a bunch of men.'

Naya raised an eyebrow at her friend.

'…Ben, Jerry, Mike, Ike, Ronald McDonald and the Colonel'.

Once the laughter had died down, Dianna turned to Naya. 'So, how's the film going with Heather and Ashley?'

Naya smiled, the thought of the last scene she had filmed with Heather coming to the forefront of her mind. 'It's going well. We're nearly half way through. They've been filming every day, then I just have to come in and do my scenes. They're really good at it as well. I think it's going to be a good one.'

Dianna nodded. 'Did you use all of the pastries?'

Naya laughed at the look on Telly's face. Stroking his arm, she reassured him. 'Yeah. They were only used as props, though. We had this scene with a picnic, but it was all supposed to have come from a coffee shop so there were just loads of cakes and pastries all piled around. We ate some of them when we were filming, but I think they kept some to put behind the counter just to make it look more authentic.'

'Do we get to know more of the plot, or are you like sworn to secrecy?' asked Telly.

Naya nodded, 'I guess I can explain. Shall we go and sit on the couch first? If I don't move away from the sweet potato things, I'm going to eat them all.'

Once they had refilled their glasses and made themselves comfortable, Naya began. 'So, it's a love story. My character is a girl who comes into the same coffee shop every morning at the same time. She starts off ordering the same thing, but the barista starts making her different drinks and trying to get her to loosen up a little. After a while, they begin to speak more and more and become friends. Then, this is the scene we did the other day with the pastry, she comes into the shop late at night at they sit on a picnic blanket in the kitchen and it's really cute. They kiss at the picnic and it's like, so cute. You can imagine it as Heather would write it; so sweet and cutesy and adorable.'

Dianna agreed; 'yeah, only Heather would come up with a couple's first date as being a picnic in a closed coffee shop.'

'So, after that, they're in love. There's only one more scene at the coffee shop, right at the end. My character comes in and orders a tea because she's tried every coffee thanks to the barista and wants to make, like, a challenge. It's quite funny in places. There's a really sweet montage that they're doing of us on different dates, confronting our fears and stuff. It's going to be lovely when it's finished'.

'So who plays the barista?'

Naya took a deep breath. 'Heather.'

Dianna clapped her hands; Telly hugged Naya closer to him. 'Oh my gosh. That is so cute! I bet you two are adorable together.'

Dianna put her empty wine glass down on the coffee table. 'So you've filmed the kiss, then?'

Naya had always maintained that her ethnic background meant that she couldn't blush. But right now, her face felt hot and she was sure it was probably crimson in colour. Telly looked her up and down, 'how was it?' Naya didn't know what to say. 'I… I'm just gonna go pee. Too much wine.' She could feel the pair's eyes on her as she stood up and walked down the corridor towards the bathroom.

'So, they've kissed' Telly said to Dianna, once Naya was safely out of earshot.

Dianna nodded, 'did you see the way she was smiling when she talked about that scene?' Telly nodded, it was difficult not to notice how happy their friend seemed when she described the moment when she kissed Heather.

'Do you think there's actually something going on with her and Heather?' asked Dianna. 'I mean, they're ridiculously close friends and everything. The way Nay looks at her made me think she was crushing, but Heather must like her back'.

'How so?' asked Telly. 'Heather wrote the script for this film. She wrote the kiss between them, the whole lovers thing was her idea.' Telly nodded, Dianna was right. 'I've noticed their friendship got pretty flirty on tour. I mean, all the ass slapping and giggling; not to mention the kiss on the last night,' Telly explained. 'I know', Dianna added, 'they're so adorable. I've wondered for a while if something was going on. They are such a two-shot anyway, it really wouldn't surprise me if they were more than friends.'

'We are', Naya croaked. She had been standing in the corner of the corridor, and caught the last part of their conversation. 'She is so much more than a friend.' Telly patted the seat next to him, inviting Naya to sit next to him. Dianna shuffled across the other sofa, so that she was closer to them. 'Tell us whatever you need to, sweetie'.

'I just… I don't know. We started out as best friends and we were just being silly and having fun. Well, I was. It took me a long time to realise that I liked her, but when I did it really hit me. I think I'm falling hard, guys.'

Dianna and Telly shared a knowing look as Naya snuggled into Telly's embrace, Dianna's hand on her knee. 'Can I ask you something?' Telly asked the girl in his arms. Naya nodded, 'shoot'. 'Why do you look so sad?' Naya sighed. 'I was just thinking about it. We kind of promised we wouldn't tell anyone. She says she's worried about what people will label her as if they know we're together. I know it's because she's confused about herself and how she feels about me and how she feels about other women, but I can't help but feel a little worried. I sometimes find myself wondering whether she wants to keep it a secret because she's ashamed of me and of what we are…' Naya's voice trailed off into quiet sobs. Telly stroked her arm slowly, holding her tight. 'She loves you, Nay. I'm sure of it. She wouldn't do something like that to you. She's probably just scared; she'll come around soon. Promise.'


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Naya's night was restless. After confessing her worries to Telly and Dianna, she had vowed to speak to Heather as soon as she could. Her mind was racing as she went over every single way in which she could say what she wanted to say. This relationship was important to her; she wanted to tell the world. She wasn't even sure if Heather would let her tell her family.

After a quick shower, Naya dressed and left for Heather's house. In the car, she rehearsed what she was going to say. 'I want this to go somewhere, but how can it when you insist on hiding what we are?' she said out loud as she sat at a junction. By the time she pulled up at her destination, her palms were clammy and she was starting to shake. There was nothing she wanted more than to tell her family and friends about this amazing girl, this amazing girl who she wanted to spend every day with for the rest of her life.

Reaching out to ring the doorbell took all of her strength. As the door opened, she took a deep breath. 'Nay!' a voice exclaimed. Not the voice she was expecting. Ashley ushered her into the living room; 'sit down, Nay. We have amazing news!' Naya did as she was told, worried that if she opened her mouth to say anything, the wrong words would come out. Heather walked into the room and sat next to her. She was pretty sure that the blonde could hear her heartbeat race as Ashley came to join them.

'So, we have big news.'

The smile on Heather's face told her that this was a good thing. 'What's going on?'

'Well, I know we haven't finished the film yet but Ash was speaking to an old friend the other day and they called this morning to ask if they could feature it at a film festival.'

Heather and Ashley were bouncing up and down in excitement.

'Wow, congratulations guys. That is great news'. Naya pulled the girls into a hug, genuinely excited about how well they were doing. 'So, we should have a party to celebrate. Like, show the finished film to our friends and family and stuff and…' Naya was cut off by the sound of Ashley's phone ringing. Pointing to the kitchen, Ashley silently excused herself to speak to whoever it was.

'Excited?' Heather said to Naya as she moved to snuggle into her on the sofa. Naya nodded and smiled. 'What's up?' Heather looked at her with genuine concern.

'Nothing'.

'Naya. I know something's wrong, so just tell me.'

'Can we go to your room?' Heather nodded and offered her hand to take the girl upstairs.

Once they had settled on the bed, Heather turned back to her. 'You have to tell me now. What's wrong?' Naya took a breath, it was now or never. 'I'm just worried about something. If we're showing this film at festivals, to the public, people are going to start asking questions. Questions about me and you. And when they ask if we're a couple; what do you want to say? I know things have been hard for you, and I know that you don't like girls in general, but I don't think I can deal with lying to everyone. I… feel really strongly about you and the fact that you want to deny our relationships makes me worry… that you don't feel the same way about me. Like you're ashamed of me or something.'

Heather couldn't make eye contact with Naya; she looked so empty and was visibly trying to suppress her sobs. 'I could never be ashamed of you,' she said in a voice no louder than a whisper. Naya didn't move. 'I understand completely why you're upset, and I'm sorry that I made things difficult between us. I'm proud to be with you, to call you mine. And when we get asked those questions, I plan to be honest.'

Naya sat up and wiped her eyes. 'Okay' was all she could say. Heather didn't have a response. But the tenseness in her shoulders disappeared when Naya took her hand and stroked it with her thumb. A small sound escaped Naya's lips. A mumble. 'What was that?' asked Heather, leaning into the smaller girl so that she didn't have to speak up. 'We're going to be okay' Naya muttered. 'Everything is going to be okay'.

Heather wasn't sure whether she was talking to herself or not, but took her cue and opened her mouth. 'Everything will be okay, Nay. I promise. I'm done hiding everything. I don't want to see you hurting, especially not if it's my fault that you're upset. It would be easier if people knew about us; especially with the film and everything.' Naya nodded in agreement, that was exactly the point she had been trying to make. Heather continued; 'I really like you, Naya. I know I might seem a little dim at times, but I know what I feel for you. Being with you just feels right in a way that nothing ever has before. I am lucky to have you as a best friend, and I am so incredibly proud to be able to call you my…' She hesitated. Were they official? Could she say it?

Naya spotted the hesitation at once and jumped in. 'Your what, Heather?' Heather smiled.

'Say it.'

'Girlfriend.'

Ashley was laid on the sofa watching TV when the pair walked downstairs. A timid cough forced her to move her attention away from the screen and towards her housemate; her housemate who was stood hand in hand with Naya.

Heather cleared her throat.

'Ash, we have something we want to tell you.'

Ashley grinned at the two beaming girls in front of her.

'Erm… well, I know I told you I liked Naya, but we just wanted to let you know that things are official now. We're going to tell everyone, and we decided to start with you.'

'Awh, guys' was all Ashley said, before pulling the couple into a hug.

Heather squeezed her hand tighter around Naya's. It was going to be a long process, and she would be stupid to think that everyone would react in the same way as Ashley. She had to be there to protect her girl.


	9. Chapter 9

The drive to Valencia wasn't a long one, but Heather was pretty sure that Naya was trying to drag it out for as long as possible. After a small tour of all the places Naya remembered from her childhood, they pulled up to a relatively large house.

'So, this is it' Naya said, her voice shaking slightly. Heather took her hand. 'Everything is going to be okay, honey. I'll be here to take care of you. They love you and they're so supportive of everything you do. They're still going to be the same after this.' Naya smiled sweetly; 'thank you.' She was tempted to go in for a kiss, but was worried about who may have spotted her car from the window. Later, she told herself. Later.

'Wow, mom. Something smells good!' Naya exclaimed as she walked through the house towards the kitchen, Heather in tow. 'My baby's home!' Yolanda Rivera put down her wooden spoon and excitedly embraced her daughter. 'I've missed you', she whispered, just loudly enough for Heather to hear it and smile. Noticing the blonde, the woman pulled out of the hug. 'And Heather, baby. How have you been?' Heather nodded, 'pretty good, thanks Mrs Rivera.' The woman gave a friendly smile; 'please call me Yolanda. Naya, can you just stir this while I go and get your father? He's…' Naya laughed and finished the sentence; 'In the den?' Her mom giggled, as did Heather.

Naya walked up to the stove and began to stir. Both girls giggled as they heard Yolanda shouting 'George, your daughter is here. Now get your lazy ass in the kitchen and say hello! I'm sure re-runs of football matches can wait a couple hours, old man'. As soon as she was sure they were alone, Heather put her arms around Naya, who turned to give her a chaste kiss. 'You okay?' she asked. Heather smiled; 'I'm fine. Your mom is so nice and your house is amazing'.

'Nay?' The voice, coming from the door at the other end of the kitchen, caused them to break apart and turn. The door opened to reveal a striking girl, slightly taller than Naya but with the same dark hair and eyes. Heather didn't have time to say anything before the girl had run into the room and pulled her older sister into a hug, squealing slightly. 'Nick! Put me down!' Heather attempted to suppress a laugh at the camaraderie between the two sisters, but failed. The sound of her snigger caused Nickayla to realise that there were other people in the room.

'Heather, oh my God!' Naya's sister pulled her into an equally friendly hug, 'it's so nice to see you again. How have you been?'

'Fine thanks, sweetie. How about you? Naya's been showing me some of your new pictures. They are amazing. She's so proud of you.'

Nickayla smiled, 'awwh, I'm proud of her too.'

Their conversation was cut short when Yolanda re-entered the room with Naya's dad, who greeted all three girls. Behind them stood a man Heather recognised as Naya's brother, Mychal. He stood a head above everyone else in the room, but was clearly a gentle giant. By the time they reached the dinner table, he was a firm favourite with Heather. She had always wanted a brother, and he was proof of why. Although he teased Naya and brought up 'fun facts' about when she was younger just to embarrass her, he was incredibly sweet and obviously protective of her. And that was a quality Heather admired in any person.

'This stew is incredible, Mrs Rivera' Heather said with a smile.

'Thank you, it's Naya's favourite. She always requests is when she comes home. And please call me Yolanda.' Naya jumped into the conversation at that point; 'mom, the only reason I request it is because I can't make it myself. You'll have to give Heather the recipe; she's a better cook than I am'.

'Honey, it's not that I'm the better cook. It's just that you don't have any patience.'

'So, Naya tells me that you have written and directed this film that she's in', Heather took a breath, hoping that what Naya's father said next wasn't what she was expecting. 'So, what is it about? Naya was rather sketchy on the details. Just told me it was a romantic story'. Nodding, Heather answered. 'Yeah, it is a romance. Nay plays one of the leads; she's a girl who comes into the same coffee shop every morning. Slowly, she finds herself falling for the server. Who is played by… me.'

Nickayla clapped her hands together, grinning from ear to ear. 'That is so cute!' Yolanda laughed; 'maybe you should send it to Ryan when you're done. Show him how to really portray the love between two women.' Heather nodded and smiled. Nickayla sat up in her seat; 'do you think Brittany and Santana love each other?' Both Heather and Naya nodded. 'They're soul mates' Naya said, a definite tone to her voice. 'Like you?'

Naya almost choked on her wine. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see redness appearing on Heather's cheeks. Reaching under the tablecloth, she took her girlfriend by the hand. Shit, she thought to herself, this is it. 'Whaa… what do you mean, Nick?' The younger sister shuffled on her chair. 'I just mean… well… we've all seen the way you two are together.' Mychal took a sip of his drink, avoiding the eyelines of both Naya and Heather. 'I was just wondering whether there was more going on?'

Naya could feel hot tears pricking the corner of her eyes. Blinking them back, she answered. 'That's actually the reason we're here. I didn't realise you had suspected anything, but yes'.

'Yes?' George put down his knife and fork, and made direct eye contact with his daughter.

'Yes, Dad. Heather and I are together.'

The stinging feeling was back, the tears threatening to come. Naya had been raised to be accepting of all ethnicities and sexualities. Her parents encouraged her to keep an open mind, but did that mean that they would be willing to support her if she was the one who was different?

'That's fantastic news' her father finally said. Yolanda nodded, 'I agree. You are a wonderful pair.' Mychal looked Heather up and down; 'so you're sleeping with my sister?' The slap Naya gave him to his thigh was audible around the table. 'I'll take care of her', Heather said with a smile. The contented nod from her girlfriend's brother told her that she had said the right thing.

After dinner, Heather offered to help clean up like a polite guest should. 'It's okay, sweetie. George will help me. Go and sit with the girls in the living room; I think Nick misses you just as much as she misses her sister.' Yolanda watched the blonde as she settled on the sofa and snuggled into her daughter's side.

'They look so happy'.

Yolanda had not noticed her husband walk up behind her. As she nodded, he put his arms around her and kissed her lightly on the neck. Leaning into her ear, he whispered. 'They remind me of when we first met. So young, so in love.'

Naya and Nickayla were deep in conversation when Heather reached them. As she sat down they stopped talking.

'Heath! I thought you were helping mom in the kitchen.' There was a nervous wobble to Naya's voice. 'She said she and your dad would be fine by themselves. Anyway, what are you talking about?'

Nickayla sat up; 'I'll be honest. I was just asking Naya about how you're gonna tell your family. She tells me a lot; I know they can be quite strict on you. ' Naya shot her an apologetic look.

'Yeah, it's going to be hard. But I'm too happy with Naya to risk losing her. If my family don't like it, I'm not going to let them ruin our relationship.'

'Good idea. I'm so pleased for both of you… You know, I read a lot on the internet about you guys. Everyone seemed to think there was something going on anyway.'

Naya and Heather both laughed. They were forever being asked by paparazzi whether they were dating; even before they recognised their feelings for each other.

'Are you going to tell your friends from work soon?'

Naya and Heather looked at each other. This wasn't something they had had time to discuss.

'I think we should tell them at the party. After the film. It's bound to raise a few questions so we might as well roll with it.' Naya agreed; 'and it means we get them all in the same place at the same time.'

Nickayla clapped her hands together; 'I am so pleased for you guys! Like, this is just amazing.' Heather leaned in to Naya, taking her hand. Yes it is, she thought to herself.

Yolanda and George emerged from the kitchen after about half an hour. 'Girls, if you don't have anything to go back for in the morning you are more than welcome to stay.' Naya was about to decline the offer when Heather began to speak. 'We don't have to film anything until the afternoon. Nay? What do you think.' Naya nodded. It would be nice to not have to drive back in the dark and then fall into bed. 'We don't have any clothes,' she pointed out.

'You left a few things the last time you were here,' Yolanda said with a smile. 'Everything will be in your room. And if you need anything else, Nickayla's wardrobe is bursting at the seams. You'll be fine.'

Later that evening, Heather was relaxing in Naya's childhood bedroom while her girlfriend went in search of pyjamas. There was one pair in her room, so she had offered them to Heather. 'Heather, is it okay for me to come in?' Heather walked over to the bedroom door and opened it to reveal Nickayla, who looked much more like her seventeen years in pyjamas and a dressing gown. 'Hey, I just came to say goodnight.' Heather motioned for the girl to come in. The two girls got comfortable on the bed, leaving enough room for Naya when she got back.

'I used to do this every night.'

'Do what?'

'Come into Naya's room and stay with her for a bit before I went to bed. When she moved out, I struggled to sleep knowing that her room was empty.'

Heather smiled, 'she's pretty special.' Nickayla nodded in agreement.

'Awwh, look at my favourite girls all cosy on my bed!' Naya exclaimed from her position in the corner of the room. Taking advantage of the fact that her secret was no longer secret, she clambered on the bed and put her arms around her girl. Heather settled into the embrace, closing her eyes. 'Sleepy, baby?' Heather nodded, Naya smiled and kissed the top of her head.

'Anyway, Nick. How has life been?'

'Well, school's okay. I'm only going in now and again to collect work which is cool. And I'm going to New York for a shoot next week. An ad campaign for a new clothing brand.'

'That's great, baby sis. But it wasn't what I meant. How is everything else?'

'Meaning?'

'Well, you got to know my secret. So tell me yours.'

'There's not a lot to tell. I went to a party the other weekend with some friends.'

'Sara and Lucy?' Nickaya looked downcast at the mention of their names.

'They're not speaking to me. Apparently I don't go to school because I think I'm too important for them. No, I went with a couple of other friends.'

'Was the party fun?' Heather joined the conversation.

'Sort of. Well, it was until I saw Sara. She was kissing Mitchell Paul. Remember, the one I told you about?'

Naya nodded. 'I remember. So what happened?'

'I left. I wasn't just going to stand there and torture myself.'

Heather thought back to the night that all of this had started. Seeing Naya and Mark together had shattered her heart into a thousand pieces.

'Look, Nickayla. I know you probably don't believe me right now but you will in time. Things change, people change. I saw someone I liked with someone else a while back, and it hurt so much. Just tell him how you feel. If you're serious about him, that is…'

Nickayla smiled. 'I am serious about him. He's really cute, he gets my lifestyle and he's so nice.'

Naya gushed 'Nick, you're growing up too quickly. Thinking about you with guys is weird. '

Nickayla just laughed it off. 'I don't want to think about you with guys… or girls… either!'

Once Nick had gone to bed, Heather and Naya turned the light off and snuggled together under the covers.

'Was it me?' Naya asked. 'Was it me that broke your heart?'

She could feel Heather nodding into her shoulder.

'I'm so sorry. I was so reckless.'

Heather shrugged it off; 'I like you, you like me and we're together. That's all that matters.'

'As long as you're sure?' Heather nodded again.

'Your sister is so amazing.' Heather had to change the subject, she didn't want Naya getting upset.

'Yeah, she is. I miss her so much. I'm proud of all that she's achieved. I can't believe she's growing up so much, though.'

'She's so supportive of you. Well, of us. She's amazing.'

'Do you think your sisters will be as supportive?'

Heather sighed. 'I doubt it. Your parents are so great as well. I don't really think my mom will be the same. You've heard what she's like about Brittany and Santana; I don't think she'll be any better with me. '

'You'll always have me, you know. I'm going to support you in any way that you need.'

Heather smiled at the tone of Naya's voice; so gentle, so caring. Placing a gentle hand on her cheek, Heather leaned in and closed her eyes. The kiss began softly. Naya moved closer, pulling Heather in with her. With her hand laced in Heather's loose blonde hair, she deepened the kiss. A bite to her lip caused Naya to moan. Heather pulled herself on top of her and began to move her kisses from the girl's lips to her neck, still lightly biting.


	10. Chapter 10

'Nay, do we have enough wine out? And where is Ashley? She's supposed to be in charge of snacks'. Heather's stress levels were at an all-time high. Filming had drawn to a close in what seemed like no time at all, and now she was preparing to show the finished version to her closest friends… and family. It had seemed a good idea at the time, but now Heather was regretting ever picking up the phone. Knowing that her eldest sister, Crystal, lived less than an hour away from her, she had extended an invitation to the showing. Where she and Naya were going to come out. In front of everybody. After showing a scene in which they kiss. What was she thinking?

Naya motioned for Heather to come into her open arms. She held the girl tight, hoping that a gentle rub of her back and kisses to her forehead would relax her. It was obvious why she was worrying; Naya was pretty sure that the glee cast and their other friends would be incredibly supportive of their relationship, but Heather's sister was another matter. The two girls had only met once, briefly. Crystal had come to set to pick up Heather one evening and taken her out to dinner. It could only have lasted a minute at most, but the conversation between Crystal and Naya had been awkward and tense. It was relatively clear that Heather's character wasn't somebody Crystal wanted her sister to portray. Naya took a deep breath. She had to keep them both composed and enjoy the peace; this was most definitely the calm before the storm.

'Everything will be okay, H. I'm here for you.'

'I really don't think it will be. Naya, my sister has been raised a Christian with very strong beliefs about how people should live their lives. She's not going to like it; there's no point pretending that she's going to support me. It won't happen.'

'I love you.'

The words that came out of Naya's mouth were quiet, but sure. 'Wha… what did you say?' Heather looked directly into Naya's eyes. 'I said, I love you.' Heather leaned in and kissed her lightly. 'I think I love you too'. Naya raised an eyebrow; 'think?' Heather laughed softly. 'I know… I'm still figuring all of this out. I know that my feelings for you are stronger than they've been for anyone else. I have never wanted to be with someone so much in my life. If that's what love is then… I love you.'

Crystal arrived earlier than they were expecting. She greeted Heather with a kiss on the cheek, Naya with a half-hearted embrace and Ashley with a friendly wave. 'Anything I can do to help?' she said, looking around at the half-decorated living room. Heather took her by the hand and showed her what still needed to be done. Mid-conversation, she turned to Naya who was stood silently a few feet away; 'Nay, can you go up to my room and check that the film filters are prepped?' Naya was confused, but the look on Heather's face told her to go upstairs anyway.

Minutes later, the bedroom door opened. 'Sorry about that' Heather said, closing the door behind her and leaning against it, 'I just wanted some alone time with you before everyone arrived, but it's getting busy downstairs and Nate and Lucy should be here any second.' Naya walked up to the blonde and pulled her upright, her hands following the curve of Heather's hips. 'I meant what I said downstairs,' Heather leaned into Naya and kissed her neck as she continued to talk. 'I will stand by you, whatever happens today. I love you, you're my girlfriend and I'll protect you.' Heather moved her kisses back up towards Naya's mouth. 'Mmm, less talking' she said, in a throaty whisper that Naya couldn't resist.

Capturing Heather's waiting lips in hers, Naya lost herself. As she allowed Heather's tongue entrance, she let out a moan. She felt her girlfriend deepen the kiss, her fingers tangled in Naya's dark tresses. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but a knock on the door forced them to pull away. 'Girls, people are starting to arrive. You should probably come downstairs', Ashley said through the door. After fixing each other's hair and checking their appearances in the mirror, they left the room and walked downstairs.

Once everyone had arrived and had been given a drink, Ashley ushered them into their makeshift cinema in the living room. Crystal sat next to Heather, who searched the room for Naya before finding her sat between Dianna and Jenna. Her legs were visibly shaking, and she was incredibly grateful when Dianna reached across and held her hand in reassurance. 'Nervous?' Dianna asked. Naya just nodded, and turned to Ashley who had just stood up in front of the screen.

'Okay, everyone. Welcome to our very informal premiere of our new short film, entitled 'Every Day'. I don't want to say too much, so I'll just let it speak for itself. I hope you all enjoy it.'

Naya settled into her chair as the film began. This would actually be her first time seeing it as a complete movie, although she kind of hated watching herself acting. The whole group was quiet as the film began. Heather remained nervously clinging onto the sides of her seat; Crystal wasn't laughing alone with everyone else. She so desperately wanted to look at her, to try to read her expression, but there was no way she could without drawing attention to herself.

'I think this is serious… I mean, I think I like her.'

Jenna turned to look at Naya. The smile on her face showed that she was enjoying the film and the story, which was more than could be said for Heather's sister. Even through the darkness, the look on her face was strong enough for Naya to read. She wasn't just disapproving, she was angry.

There were cheers and clapping when their characters kissed. Heather tried to hide a smile; she could sense Crystal's eyes on her as she faced forward, feigning intense study of the screen. A reassuring squeeze of the hand from Ashley reminded her to breathe. Everything would be okay.

The lights went up and the audience got out of their seats, helping themselves once more to drinks and food. Heather stuck with Ashley, who was deep in conversation with Chris.

'It was incredible, you guys. I love how you did it. I've never seen something so cute before!' he gushed.

'Thanks. It was actually Heather who wrote it. I was principal director, but she made it really.' Heather smiled; yes she did.

'So did you write it with specifically Nay in mind?' Heather gave a shy nod, Ashley squeezed her hand again.

Naya searched the room for Heather as soon as the light went on and people began to move. She spotted her with Ashley, but was pulled to one side by Dianna and Telly before she had a chance to walk over. 'I would congratulate you on your brilliant acting, but…' Naya gave Telly a playful slap on the arm, before pulling him into a hug. 'Shut up, you know I'm amazing', she whispered into his ear. Her trademark laugh filled the air; Heather's heart melted.

She searched the room for the location of the sound. Spotting the girl in the corner, smiling with Telly and Di, she excused herself from Ashley and the others and walked over. There was no need to put up a front, Dianna and Telly saw how they were on set as friends, so she was comfortable enough to approach Naya from behind and put her arms around her. 'Hi'. Naya smiled, recognising the voice immediately. 'Sorry to steal you away' she said, acknowledging the others, 'but it's now or never.'

The pair, hand in hand, stood in front of the now blank screen. 'Guys' Naya began, 'we have a few things we would like to say.' The chinking of glasses and the sound of shuffling bodies dulled. 'First of all', she continued, sensing that Heather needed to concentrate on just breathing in and out for now, 'thank you all so much for coming. We really hope you enjoyed it.' Applause broke out; Ashley beamed from her spot- front and centre. 'Thanks, it really means a lot.' Heather had found confidence to speak. 'So, our first announcement is that this film will be shown at an LGBT film festival in San Francisco next month and, we hope, plenty more after that!' The applause began again, but Naya raised her hand, causing silence to wave across the room once more. 'Our second announcement is a little more… personal. Since beginning this project, Heather and I…' she snuck a glance at her beautiful girlfriend, who was searching the room with her eyes, 'Heather and I have realised our feelings for one another. So we wanted to share our new, official, relationship with our closest friends.' Applause erupted, followed by a 'KISS HER!' from Cory. Naya nodded in his direction, as Heather took her by the hands and did just as he had asked.

Heather broke away from the kiss and looked around the room again. As chatter resumed, she left Naya giggling at Mark and Cory's inappropriate lesbian jokes. There was something wrong; Crystal was nowhere to be found. Accepting a drink from Lea and downing it in one gulp, she made her way out of the room and up the stairs.

Crystal was sat on the bed, the framed photo of Naya and Heather from tour discarded next to her. 'Are you okay? How long have you been up here?'

'Okay? How could I be okay?' There was a tone to her sister's voice she hadn't heard before, 'And, I've been up here since the film ended. I couldn't bear it down there any longer. You are not who I thought you were. I don't know which of you little friends has been manipulating you because no sister of mine would ever make a film about something so disgusting. Heather, it's completely immoral. Don't you see that? You know what? If Dad were here, I think he'd die all over again if he heard what is daughter was promoting.'

Through a curtain of tears, Heather found the energy to open the door. 'Get out'. She could hear her voice tremble, but she was sure of what she was saying. 'Now'. Crystal gathered up her things and left. A minute later, she heard the front door slam shut. Letting her body go weak, she fell against the wall. The tears came but she didn't stop them. She didn't do anything; she was numb.

Naya noticed Crystal walk down the stairs and straight out the door without saying a word to anybody. Sensing something was wrong, she headed across the room. 'Hey Le, have you seen Hemo?'

'Last I saw of her, she was headed upstairs. I don't think she's come down… hey, is everything okay?'

Naya shrugged. 'I need to find her. I'll speak to you in a bit?' Lea gave her a sympathetic smile.

'Heather?' the voice from the other side of the door pulled her to her senses. 'Heather? Are you in there? It's Nay.' Heather moved away from the door, allowing Naya to open it. She could see the panic on her face as soon as she saw her. God, she must look awful right now. Naya shut the door behind her and took Heather into her arms. 'Shh, baby. It's okay. I've got you.' Stroking her hair, Naya allowed Heather to relax into her, her tears slowing to quiet sobs. 'I'm here, baby. I'm here.'

Once Heather's tears had subsided, she stood up and walked to the bathroom. Naya took the opportunity to throw a few things into a bag and send a quick text.

To: Ashley L.

Message: Can you distract everyone away from the door? Heather's really upset so I'm going to take her back to my place. Will text in the morning. Thanks, N x

Heather emerged from the bathroom with a wad of tissues in her hand. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she was sniffling. 'Heather, I think you should stay with me tonight. You don't want to be around all these people. I've packed a few things, so why don't we just go and get in the car?' Heather nodded, offering her hand to Naya. Silently, they made their way out of the door and into the night air.

As soon as they were out of Heather's street, she spoke. 'Crystal hates me'. Naya couldn't say she was surprised, but hid it well. 'Why do you think that, baby?' Heather shook her head. 'She told me that the film was sinful and that if my dad… if he… ' Naya used her free hand to hold Heather's and stroke it with her thumb. '.. If my dad would still alive, he would have died again because his daughter supports disgusting things'. She couldn't hide the shock in her voice; 'Crystal said that? Oh my gosh, Heather.' The blonde looked down at her knees, trying not to cry. 'It hurt so much for her to say that to me.' Naya nodded. 'So she left the room before the big announcement? ' Heather had barely registered what her sister had said before her outburst. 'I guess so. She would have had more to say if she had. I think she said she left straight after the film.'

When they reached Naya's place, she opened the door and helped a trembling Heather out of the car. Once they were inside, she set her down on the sofa before entering the kitchen and pouring both of them a vodka. 'I need it, I wondered if you did too'. Before she had finished her sentence, Heather had taken the glass Naya was offering and choked half of it down. 'Yes I do.'


	11. Chapter 11

Once her glass had been emptied, Heather shifted her body onto the sofa and rested with her head on Naya's chest. 'Thank you for today' she said in barely more than a whisper. 'I really needed you.' Naya snaked her hand down the side of Heather's body gently, and took hold of her hand. 'I told you I would be there for you.' Heather nodded; she felt so comfortable and safe that the outside world was no longer a worry. Naya was the one person that she could rely on to protect and understand her in every way.

The silence that fell between them was comfortable. Still, Naya felt as though it needed to be filled. 'Heather, I'm really sorry about what happened today. I know you said that she wasn't going to like it, but I'm still sorry.' Heather moved her head to look up; 'I have you. That's all that matters. I know now that I can survive without anyone else because you mean everything to me.' Going with her instincts, Heather pulled herself further up Naya's body, propping herself up on the arm of the couch. Leaning down, she captured her girlfriend's lips in her own. 'You are so amazing' she whispered, their foreheads touching momentarily before their lips locked once more.

From its position resting on the small of Heather's back, Naya found her hand wandering towards her hip. Stroking it tentatively with her thumb, she felt the body above her begin to move in rhythm with her. As the kiss became more intense, Heather moved into a more comfortable position, taking Naya with her. From her new position, straddling Heather's sitting body, she moved her hands upwards. Heather opened her mouth to complain about the lack of hands on her hips, but the soft touch of Naya's hand to her chest caused a moan to come out instead.

Heather's hands on her thighs were driving her crazy. She was teasingly light, and it was not going to do. 'Harder' Naya instructed, her hand moving inside Heather's bra to caress her nipple. 'Please.' Taking her cue from the girl on top of her, Heather moved her hand upwards, running it slowly just below her stomach. Every now and again, her hand would grace the top of her trousers. Daring to go lower each time, Heather soon found herself caressing smooth skin. She could feel the heat radiating from Naya's centre; knowing what she was doing to this girl only increased the sensation she felt between her own thighs.

Before she could move her hand any lower and give Naya the relief she knew she needed, a hand around her wrist stopped her. The disappointment on Heather's face was obvious. It had been too long a wait for this moment; she had wanted it for so long, had needed to know what it felt like to be loved by the woman currently sat on top of her. It was frustrating to say the least; Heather wanted her in every way possible, and she wanted her now. 'Let's take this upstairs'. Naya's rasp of a voice caught her just before she pulled her hand away from Naya's waistband. 'You.. you sure?'

'Yes. Of course I'm sure. I love you and I want to show you how much. You have to understand, I need you to… I need to show you.'

The desperation in her voice, and the heavy breaths that followed, told Heather that this girl needed her. Heather touched her lips gently, probably more gently than Naya wanted since the darker girl immediately deepened the kiss. Opening their eyes, the pair stared at one another for one achingly slow second before pulling themselves up from their seat and racing up the stairs hand in hand. Once they reached the bed, Naya threw herself onto it and pulled Heather with her. Resuming their kiss as fervently as before, Heather felt arms reaching around her middle. Moving lower, they grasped the hem of her dress and pulled upwards. Once it had been discarded on the floor, the hands moved back to do the same with her bra.

Once Naya had managed to expose her girlfriend's perfect breasts, she felt herself being rolled over. Heather, now underneath her, began to slowly undo the row of buttons leading from Naya's chest to her stomach. The whimpers coming from Naya only made her slow her pace even more. Once the shirt was gone, she reached around and unclasped her bra, kissing her shoulder as she did.

They were both topless. Standing at the side of the bed, both girls took the time to admire the other. Heather ran her hand gently down Naya's toned stomach, studying and appreciating every last inch of the girl. Naya's eyes moved back down to Heather's chest. Just visible under the curve of each breast was a scar from her surgeries. After taking a moment to look her in the eye and tell her just how perfect she was with no words at all, Naya leaned down and placed a kiss on each one. Heather's hand was shaking as she pulled the brunette back up to face her. 'I love you' was all she needed to say.

The kisses were hot and heavy; the feeling of Heather's lips lingered on Naya's after every touch. As she moved her hand down to touch Heather's breasts once more, she heard a moan escape her lover's mouth. The nails dragging down her back in pleasure told her that the blonde was enjoying every second. Naya shuddered; she wanted more. Reaching down seductively, she unbuttoned her jeans and let them slide to the floor. Understanding what was coming next, Heather did the same thing. Once they were off, Naya reached back towards the bed and pulled the covers down. Knowing what she wanted, Heather got into the bed and moved to face the girl she loved so much.

Once Naya was underneath the sheets, Heather tentatively placed a hand on her thigh. 'I need you'. With her thumbs hooked in the lace of the blonde's underwear, Naya pulled them down. Once they were off, Heather's eyes begged her to do the same to her own. Now completely naked, Naya repositioned herself so that she was closer to the blonde. Leaning in, she began to kiss Heather's neck, the wetness between her legs grew with each moan escaping from her lips. As she moved her kisses between the valley of her breasts and towards her perfectly toned stomach, she raised her eyes to look directly into Heather's. As she reached her stomach, she placed a hand on each hip. With one last, lingering look, she kissed the top of the glistening folds before her.

Heather was in ecstasy. As Naya worked her tongue slowly over the throbbing bundle of nerves between her legs, she couldn't help but move her own hands upwards towards her breasts. Clinging onto the sheets was working to control her pleasure, but the way her nipples hardened beneath her touch only added to the intensity of the feeling Naya was creating. 'I..' Her voice cracked as she tried to speak without moaning loudly. 'I want to feel you…' Naya continued to move her tongue in all the right ways as Heather spoke. 'I want to feel you inside me.'

Needing no more instruction, Naya took two fingers and slid them inside Heather. Slowly moving them in and out made Heather moan again; the sound sent a small shiver down Naya's spine. It was irresistible. 'More, Nay'. Her voice was no more than a murmur, but Naya knew what the girl needed. Resuming her position with her mouth over her swollen clit, she pumped her fingers inside of the girl lying beneath her. Heather's hips lifted in response as her arousal increased even more. Naya's eyes lifted up in time to see her head thrash from side to side. Unable to ignore the throbbing sensation coming from between her now soaking wet legs, Naya began to pump faster. Knowing that the girl was close, she curled her fingers inside of her and used her tongue to circle her clit.

'Na…. Na… Naya', Heather managed to whisper as she forced herself not to let go for a few more seconds. The pleasure she felt was incredible; she never wanted it to end. As Naya's fingers moved inside of her and curled in just the right place, Heather couldn't hold it in any longer. Shaking from head to toe, she felt a rush of ecstasy. Once the strongest wave of her orgasm had passed, Naya moved to cradle the girl in her arms, placing small kisses to the top her head. 'I love you', the blonde in her arms whispered over and over. 'I love you.'

The feeling of holding someone so vulnerable in her arms gave Naya an overwhelming sense of protection. Leaning against her naked chest, the girl she held was so precious and so incredible. There was no way that she would let anybody hurt her; she was special.

Heather took Naya's hand in her own and looked into her eyes. Normally, eye contact freaked out the brunette but Heather was different. 'That was amazing' she said with a smile. 'Would you like me to return the favour, baby?' Naya could only nod, no longer able to ignore the wetness between her legs. The hand making its way towards her breasts had left her unable to form words. 'Did watching me come make you wet?' Again she could only nod. The woman in front of her was so in control, so self-assured, and it drove her crazy.

Before she really knew what was going on, Heather had taken her breast into her mouth. The feel of her tongue on the soft skin was enough to push her over the edge if she wasn't careful. 'Heather. Fuck me, please. Make me come. I need you'. Hearing such demands from the brunette was hot. Rather than teasing her with foreplay, Heather sensed that the girl needed something more direct. Plunging two fingers straight into her dripping centre, she began to do exactly as her girlfriend asked. 'Oh, God. Heather, more!' With her mouth back on her breast, the blonde used her thumb to rub over Naya's clit. The shudder she felt as she brushed over it the first time only made her do it again.

Naya groaned in pleasure. She had been so desperate for Heather to touch her like this and it was all too much. Before long , she found herself pushing her head backwards into the pillow and grasping fistfuls of fabric in order to stop herself from waking the neighbours with the scream that was threatening to come out. One last thrust of Heather's fingers and she let herself go. Her entire body relaxed, and she felt incredible. Wave after wave of pleasure washed over her, causing her to scrunch her toes and fingers. 'Good?' Heather asked after she had recovered. All she could do was nod, which made the blonde laugh. 'Tired?' She nodded again. Heather pulled her so that she was resting on her girlfriend's toned arm, the other holding her at her waist. 'Can we sleep like this?' Naya smiled, 'Yes.' Heather reached over and turned out the light. 'I just want to let you know that you are amazing.' Naya nodded, 'yes I am.'

'No, no. Seriously. Not only was that the best orgasm I think I've ever had, but it was made even better by the fact that I am so in love with you.'

A small prick of a tear stung Naya's eye in threat. 'You're perfect' she whispered before capturing Heather's lips in a gentle kiss.


	12. Chapter 12

It was so nice to be able to wake up on her own time, and be shocked into consciousness by her ridiculously loud alarm. They had no need to be up at all; the film was done and now all they could do was wait for their trip to San Francisco to show it to the world. Heather stretched her legs a little before opening her eyes.

Heather was naturally a morning person before opening her eyes. Still curled into her arms, Naya was fast asleep. The way her lips curled into a tiny smile as she slept was enough to make Heather's heart somersault in her chest. Unable to lay in bed for much longer without anything to do, she stroked a hand on Naya's cheek. 'Morning, beautiful' she said softy. Naya opened one eye and groaned. 'Hi' she said, her voice lazy and quiet, 'what time is it?' Heather turned over to check the clock on the nightstand. '9.' Naya pulled herself up, manoeuvring her body so that she was back in Heather's arms. 'That's okay, I suppose. If it was any earlier, I would have killed you.'

Heather couldn't help but laugh. Their jobs required them to be up and on set early in the morning, but Naya's body hadn't become accustomed to waking much before the afternoon. 'Do you want breakfast?' Naya's eyes lit up at the mention of food; Heather clearly knew her well. 'You stay in bed, sleepy. I'll make us something and call you down when it's ready.' Snuggling back under the sheets, trying to ignore the now empty space next to her, Naya smiled. She was so lucky to have someone who cared for her this much; her life couldn't get much better.

Heather relaxed as she reached the kitchen and began to work. Searching the cupboards, she found everything she could possibly need for the perfect breakfast. She knew Naya's favourite foods by heart; they had spent the majority of their mealtimes together since they met. Once the pancakes were ready, she arranged them on two plates and covered each one with fruit and honey. After clearing the dining table of all the crap Naya insisted on storing there, she attempted to make it look as pretty as possible. With a pot of coffee brewing on the side, Heather went back up the stairs to collect her girl.

Naya was sat awake in bed. Heather couldn't help but think how incredibly beautiful she looked with her hair piled on top of her head and her glasses on. She had done the same as Heather and grabbed the comfiest clothes she could find from her wardrobe. Even in old sweats and a t-shirt, she was a goddess. 'Breakfast is waiting downstairs.' Naya looked up from her book and smiled. Heather was stood in the doorway, a smudge of flour visible on her cheek. A smile beaming across her face, Naya walked across the room towards her. 'You've got a little something…' she leaned in and kissed her cheek, 'right there.' Heather giggled; 'hey, I gave you that move! I wrote that!' Naya nodded and smiled. 'You said breakfast?'

'I could get used to this', Naya said between mouthfuls. 'You know how I love your pancakes'. The wink following her statement left Heather in hysterics; 'Nay, you're ridiculous! But I'm glad you like them.' Reaching across the table, Naya took her hand. 'You are amazing, Heather. I just want to do this every day.' Heather opened her mouth to speak, when her phone rang.

'Hello?'

'Heather! How are you sweetie?'

'Fine, mom. I'm just having breakfast with Naya.'

'Oh, that is lovely. Have you enjoyed your break?'

'Yes thanks. Aside from working on the film, I haven't really done a lot.'

'So I doubt you've met any cute guys, then?'

Heather gulped. 'No, mom. I'm not looking for a cute guy right now.'

Looking up, she expected Naya to be downtrodden, but she simply winked and smiled.

'Anyway, the reason I was calling was to ask whether I can come to this film festival you're going to? I had a blast at Napa and I'd love to be there to support my baby girl.'

'Mom, you know I'd love you to be there. But some of the films are a little… Well, I don't think you'll appreciate the content. It isn't really a mainstream festival.'

'I don't care. I want to see my daughter's handiwork on the big screen. Don't worry about sorting anything out, I'll fly over and book a room for myself. Just let me know where you'll be staying so that we're not on opposite sides of the city.'

'Okay. Well, I'll get you a ticket. Just book any hotel in the centre, and I'm sure we'll find you.'

'Sounds good. I'm looking forward to seeing the film!' Heather winced silently.

'Okay, mom. Well, I wanna get back to my breakfast but I'll speak to you soon.'

Heather sat back at the table and put her head in her hands. 'My mom is coming to Frameline.' Naya took her hand, stroking it gently. 'It'll be okay, H. I'll make sure of it.' Heather nodded, but didn't bother to lift her head. 'I promise'.

Later that day, the pair were curled up in front of the TV. 'This is perfect' Heather said softly. 'I could stay here all day.' Naya nodded; 'I never want to be apart from you.' Smiling, Heather pulled Naya's arms tightly over her, 'me neither. You know, I've been thinking.'

'Mm?' Naya looked down at the blonde, who looked so comfortable in her arms.

'Do you think it's too soon to talk about taking the next step?'

Naya didn't know what to say. They had only just told their friends; what was she suggesting?

Sensing Naya's nervousness, Heather held her hand. 'I'm not talking marriage or kids or anything… not yet.' She felt the brunette's shoulders lower in relief.

'I was going to ask you before my mom disturbed our little breakfast. What do you think about moving in together?'

'What about Ashley?'

Heather smiled; Naya was always one to think of other people before herself.

'She was the one who suggested it, in actual fact.' Naya raised an eyebrow, 'really?'

Heather nodded. 'Yeah, she's got a couple of projects going on and she's spending most of her time at Lucy's house. She mentioned the other day that maybe it would be a good idea for her to move closer to that side of town.'

'That makes sense. So… she said that I should move in?'

Heather smiled. 'She said that it would probably make things easier. I mean, we spend all our time together and we just end up switching between apartments. So why not just have one apartment between us?'

Naya nodded. It all seemed so simple.

'Can I suggest something?' Naya seemed serious, so Heather let her continue.

'If we're moving, why don't we look for something new. My lease finishes at the end of the month and I haven't told my landlord whether I'm going to renew it yet. And if Ashley's moving out… I just think it would be good for us to choose somewhere close to work, close to everywhere we go together. Somewhere that suits us as a …couple.'

Heather nodded. 'I'll go get your laptop. Since we have a bit of time before Frameline, why don't we arrange to look at a couple this week?'

'I really like the light in here', Heather said to the realter. This was the third apartment of the day and the nicest they had seen so far. The first had been in an awful area, right at the top of a tower block. The second was nice, but too big for just the two of them.

'I like it too'. Heather noticed Naya's smile, caught her eye and nodded.

'Can we take a look at the master suite again?'

Following the small, suited lady out of the living room and towards the back of the apartment, Heather took Naya by the hand. 'I think this might be it.' Naya smiled; 'I agree. I mean, it's in a great place and it's just so pretty!' The girl's excitement was infectious and Heather giggled with her. As they reached the master bedroom, Naya turned to the realter. 'Could you give us a couple of minutes?' The woman smiled politely and backed out of the doorway.

'I like it. Do you think we should go for it?'

Heather smiled, appreciating the decisiveness in her girlfriend's tone. 'I think it's perfect. I know the price is good, but I'm sure we could get it lowered. Call your mom?'

Naya's mom had worked in real estate since her children were small; there was nothing she didn't know about the LA property market. 'I'll call her and see if she can come over. At least then we can see if she approves.'

The following day, Naya drove back to the apartment with Heather and her mom in the car. 'Yolanda, you are some kind of superwoman. How on earth did you manage to get the keys?'

'What can I say? I'm a well-respected lady.' Heather sensed exactly where Naya got her sense of humour as she laughed at the woman's comment.

'Mom, what do you think?' Naya said, Heather's hand firmly in her own.

'It's a wonderful choice, girls. I think the privacy of this complex will suit you both; there's no way you'll have to deal with paparazzi being at your door any more. Now you have gates!'

The girls smiled; the idea of living in a gated complex hadn't really crossed their minds, but it would be helpful.

'And this light… I mean, wow.' Heather smiled; 'That's what I said!'.

Yolanda Rivera was incredible, Heather thought to herself. Naya's mom was currently negotiating a deal from the balcony of their, hopefully, new apartment.

'This is so exciting!' she heard Naya exclaim from behind her. Whilst her mom had been on the phone, she had spent her time inspecting every last inch of the living area, the kitchen and the office. 'I know. So do you think we'll be happy here?' Naya smiled and took the girl into her arms; 'I'd be happy if we lived under a bridge. But, yes. I think we'll be very happy.'

'Well, girls, welcome to your new home!'

The pair squealed and jumped up and down in excitement. Heather was first to hug her girlfriend's mom; 'Thank you so much' she said as she pulled away.

'Mommy, you are my favourite' Naya said, putting on a baby voice as she snuggled into her mom.

'Heather, we have an apartment!'

Moving away from her mom, she pulled the smiling blonde towards her. 'It feels amazing ' she whispered, before kissing her lightly on the lips.

'You girls will be the death of me!' Yolanda exclaimed, 'you are just too cute!'

Heather looked Naya in the eyes, 'yeah we are' she said with a smile.


	13. Chapter 13

'So how much more stuff do we need to do today?' Naya looked around at the piles of boxes covering the floor of Heather's apartment. 'I think there might be three more, that's all. Ash has left me a few things- we had to split all the stuff we'd bought together. It was like getting a divorce or something!' Naya smiled; she could tell that the blonde was said about leaving her partner in crime, but the future was looking so incredible.

'Heather?' a voice came through the door.

'S'open!' she called from inside the fortress of cardboard they had created in the living room.

'Hey'; Lea stood in the doorway, looking at the scene. 'Is Zach all ready? Sheila is so excited for her play date!' Heather laughed at how adorable the girl was.

'Yeah, I had to shut him in the kitchen. I was pretty worried about him getting stuck inside a box or something.'

Heather took ages to say goodbye to her cat. Naya couldn't help but worry that, if Zach didn't like their new place, they wouldn't be staying very long.

'Okay, so his food is on the side. He doesn't have a meal time or anything, I just leave it out all day. With work and everything, he'd starve if I didn't.'

Lea nodded, taking all the information in. 'Anything else I should know? Allergies?'

'As far as I know, he's okay with most foods. Just don't give him too much fresh fish; or he'll get even fatter!'

Once Lea and Zach were safely on their way back to her place, Naya closed up the last of the boxes. In the corner of the room were two suitcases. Aside from the things they were taking with them to San Francisco, everything else was packed and ready to move to their new house. Naya's mom had arranged to help with the move and would be picking their stuff up and moving it to whilst they were away at the festival. Heather came back into the room and sat on the floor, wrapping her legs around the girl in front of her. 'Ready to go?' Naya nodded; 'I can't wait. I'll take the stuff out to the car.'

The trip to San Francisco took most of the day, and sitting in the passenger seat was beginning to get tedious. Naya thanked whoever would listen for the fact that the scenery in this part of the world was worth looking at; it was all she had done for the past three hours. Heather had kept her entertained with her playlist (she made especially for the journey); it was full of songs that reminded her of their relationship. Naya let out a hearty laugh as 'My Cup' filled the car. 'No way! It was so hard to keep in character in that scene; I'd never seen something so hilarious in all my life!' The two sang along, smiling and giggling.

Once they reached the hotel parking lot, Naya had fallen asleep.

'Baby, we're here.'

The darker girl stretched in her seat. 'Sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep.'

Heather smiled; she was so cute when she was barely awake. 'It's okay. You're pretty cute when you sleep.' Naya gave the girl her cutest, doe-eyed look. 'Shall we go and see what our room looks like?'

With their festival passes, plus one for Heather's mom, in their hands, they made their way up to the room. 'Wow, this is really nice.' During the tour, the pair had stayed in some amazing hotels and, as a consequence, had become experts at what constituted nice. With a huge bed, plenty of space and the biggest array of fruits and snacks she had ever seen, Naya was pretty sure that this was one of the best. 'Do you like the look of the food?' Heather asked, noticing the way her eyes bulged as she caught sight of the display. 'I didn't realise how hungry I was until I saw it.' Heather laughed; 'well, eat. I got it for you so you have to eat.'

'You did this for me?'

The blonde nodded, smiling shyly. 'I knew you'd probably be hungry since, well, you always are so I ordered ahead of time to make sure they had all of your favourites ready.'

Naya kissed her, their lips parting with a loud smack, before running to the food and beginning to eat.

The following morning, the pair woke up early. Before meeting Heather's mom for lunch, they had to sign in to the festival itself and get a run-down of how the event would run.

'Now, as a director, we would ask Heather to participate in a press conference after the film has been shown. In the press release, we put down yourself and Ashley but there have been a lot of press requests to discuss the film with Naya.'

The two girls looked at one another.

'Okay. Well, how about all three of us do the press conference together?'

The man showing them around the venue nodded as he scribbled notes on his clip board. 'Excellent.'

'Cool. So, after the event do we just go straight to the conference suite?'

'I need to finalise that. What I think would be best is if you guys were presented at a separate press conference to the other film makers. The press will want to get as much information from you as possible, since you're… yourselves, and I think all that questioning would mean that the other directors and producers wouldn't get their turn in the spotlight. This way, it solves the problem.'

The girls nodded, both with the understanding that they were just going to turn up in the morning and do as they were told until they were allowed to go home.

'So, how was the meeting?'

'Fine. Basically, he walked us through everything we were going to be doing. He said he'd sent you the details?'

Ashley nodded, scrolling through her emails until she found it. 'Yeah. Separate press conference, 6pm, in the main theatre. Cool.'

The three girls were sat at a table in a restaurant close to their hotel. Ashley had checked in a couple of days before, travelling with her brother and a few friends. As well as wanting to give Heather and Naya some privacy as they packed up their things, it had given her a chance to meet with a few people who had expressed an interest in working with her. Naya read the menu intently. The meeting had really taken it out of her, and she needed food. She looked up as the door opened for a sign that she would soon be able to order her meal. Heather's mom took her place next to Ashley.

'Hi girls.'

'Hi, Mrs Morris' Naya said, smiling her sweetest smile.

'It's Jeannie, and it's very nice to see you again, Naya. How have you all been? I'm very excited about seeing your film!'

The girls smiled at one another, unsure of how excited she would be after she had seen it.

'So, how was the journey?'

'Fine, mom. Nay fell asleep for a while but it was okay.'

The woman smiled at Naya.

'Okay, before the food comes I'm just going to the restroom.'

'So she hasn't spoken to you sister then?'

Heather looked up, she had zoned out of the conversation in the hope that her mom would just ignore any burning questions she had. 'Mm?'

'She would have said something about it by now, asked why. I know your mom; she's not one to not get straight to the point.' Ashley was right; she would have said something.

'Well, good. That gives us another 24 hours of peace.' Naya said, reaching for the hand of the blonde sat next to her.

As Mrs Morris emerged from the restroom, Naya let go of Heather's hand.

'So, girls' she said cheerfully as she sat down, 'tell me more about this film. Heather's not really told me a lot of the details. What is it about?'

Sensing the need to cover their asses, Ashley began to speak.

'It's a romance, really. It's probably not a very conventional set-up, but I think it works well. It's about two people who see each other every day at a coffee shop. It's their love story.'

'And this is a gay film festival?'

The comment almost made Heather drop her knife and fork. With a gulp, she answered. 'Yes.'

Ashley jumped back into the conversation. 'Yeah, it's about two women.'

Jeannie said nothing more. Heather gave Ashley a look across the table; thanking her for saving them for just a little bit longer.

'And how is your new home, Ashley?' the older woman asked as they ate their desserts.

'Fine. Great, actually. It's so much more convenient to live there since I'm working on that side of town now.' The woman nodded in understanding. 'So, you two are rooming together now?' Heather and Naya nodded.

'May I ask why?'

'Well, I was thinking of moving out anyway. The apartment lease was coming to an end, and so was Naya's so it made sense to move somewhere new.' Thank you Ashley, thought Heather.

'Yeah, my mom works in real estate so she helped us fix everything. The new place will be great when it's done. You'll have to come and see it.' Naya's saccharine tone was exactly what the woman wanted to hear.

'I sure will', she said with a smile just as sweet.

The following day, the auditorium was filling up quickly as Naya, Heather and Ashley arrived at the event. Heather's mom had a normal ticket, but would be seated with them. After posing for photos on the rainbow carpet, the trio made their way in. The lights went down just after they had taken their seats. Ashley took Naya's hand, since Heather was sat next to her mom. 'Nervous?' she whispered. Naya nodded, 'I'm nervous for Heather', she explained in her quietest voice.

The first film ended with a half-hearted round of applause. It was clear that the audience were just being polite. It had shown the most flamboyant man ever attempting to dress like a 'real man' before donning a dress and realising who he was. 'Next up, is a film called Every Day. This film comes to us from director Ashley Lendzion and writer Heather Morris.'

In the beginning, Heather's mom laughed along in all the right places. As Naya was introduced, she turned and smiled at her. Naya tried her best to smile back. Heather felt a squeeze to her hand as she emerged from behind the counter in her first scene. By the time Heather's character had asked Naya's back to the coffee shop after closing time, the laughter had stopped. Two hands were held firmly in her lap, eyes focussed on the screen.

Heather could remember filming it like it was yesterday. The way sparks flew when their lips touched, her hand woven in Naya's dark waves; it had been one of the most incredible moments of her life. She could still feel the ghost of every lingering touch from that day. The smell of freshly ground coffee and vanilla made her smile wildly, sending her mind back their time on the picnic blanket. In all honesty, it was only when there were no more lines to say that she had remembered the camera had been there at all. The whole scene had been like a dream to her; and it was always in her dreams.

The audience applauded as they kissed on the big screen. Turning around to check her mother's reaction, Heather came face to face with an empty seat. A familiar numbness washed over her; there was nothing she could do until the film was over, but she couldn't bear to watch any more. Ashley and Naya were both concentrating on the screen, clearly enjoying the way the audience was reacting to their work.

She kept her hands tightly locked together until the lights went up. As soon as the compere had announced a short break, she got up and ran out of the room.

'Heath.. Heather, where are you going?' Naya said after the girl, probably louder than she should.

A hand on her shoulder pushed her back down into her seat. 'Her mom walked out during the kiss scene. I think it might be a good idea for us both to give them some time to talk it out.' Ashley gave the brunette a sympathetic smile. All of a sudden she felt so small; knowing there was nothing she could do was so painful.

Heather was running down corridors she didn't recognise. Reaching a fire door at the end, she stopped to catch her breath. Her phone vibrated in her bag. Pulling it out, she read the text message she had just received.

'We need to talk. I'm in an empty room beside the conference suite.' Heather had no idea how her mom had managed to get there, but she walked away from the doors and followed signs until she reached an empty room.

'Mom?' she said as she leaned around the door, 'are you in here?'

The older woman was perched on the edge of a table, looking out of the window. 'Come over here, honey.' Heather did as she was told, and took achingly slow steps towards the other side of the room. Without looking at her, the woman began.

'Now, I know you think it's okay to put these kinds of things in film but what I saw out there really hurt my feelings. I raised you to love your God, and to show respect to Him in every aspect of your life. I understand your need to be creative, but you went too far. Would you like to explain.'

Heather met a pair of angry blue eyes and shook her head.

'I spoke to your sister last week.' Heather's breathing stopped. 'She warned me that I wouldn't like it. But what she and I both don't understand is why you would happily promote this life of sin if you aren't a lesbian yourself? '

'Mom, it's just a film. A film about love. I know you don't agree, but I think all types of love are beautiful.'

'What you put up on that screen today was not love.' She hissed the final word. Heather took a deep breath before stepping towards her mother.

'What difference would it make if I fell in love with a girl, Mom? I would still be the same person on the inside. I'd still be the same Heather. I… I am the same. I love a girl and I am the same. I love Naya.'

The look of disgust on her mother's face was almost tangible. The coldness in her eyes froze Heather to the core.

'You are not the same.' Her voice was low, quiet, firm. 'The daughter I raised is not a heathen. She is NOT in love with a girl, she just needs to grow up and realise the difference between what is right and what is wrong. Your sister warned me about what LA had done to you; how much you have changed. I don't recognise you, Heather. My daughter is not a lesbian. If you have feelings for a girl, that makes you a lesbian. And as long as you feel that way about Naya… I will not call you my daughter.'

Her mom stormed out of the room. Heather didn't follow; she knew there was no point. Instead, she made her way to the restroom. She wasn't going to cry. Looking at herself in the mirror, she put on her best fake smile. After taking the time to fix her hair and re-do most of her make-up, she made her way back to the auditorium. Naya and Ashley were stood chatting with a few friends by the entrance. Naya turned to her as soon as she walked through the door and handed her a small glass of wine. 'They were giving these out and… well, I thought you might need one.' Heather nodded, taking hold of the glass and tipping its contents straight into her mouth. 'And apparently I was right', Naya smiled softly.

They took their places at a table on the stage, ready for the press conference to begin. Ashley answered the majority of the questions about the direction of the film, her quirky way with words entertaining the audience. As they laughed along with her, Naya glanced across at Heather. She was looking down at the table, the hand grasped tightly around her glass was slightly shaking. Beneath the table, the darker girl reached across to place a reassuring hand on her thigh.

The question came up sooner than they were anticipating. A woman on the front row stood up; 'Naya, there are many rumours circulating about your closeness to Heather. Obviously, the content of this film is likely to add fuel to the fire, so to speak. Is there any truth in the rumours that you are dating?'

'I think there has been speculation for a long time. I mean, we play a lesbian couple on a popular TV show, so of course we're going to hear rumours. We are very close friends, but…' Heather interrupted her, her voice loud and confident. 'you know what? I think I'm just about sick of hiding. We..' Heather reached for Naya's hand, and lifted it above the table to show the audience. 'We are dating. Naya and I are in a relationship and things are going very well.'

Looking up, she saw a figure standing in the doorway at the back of the auditorium. Before Heather had a chance to get up and walk towards her, she was gone.


	14. Chapter 14

In the few days they had left before filming resumed, their new apartment was re-organised just the way they wanted it. They spent the lazy days lounging in front of the TV, just enjoying the luxury of being alone together without the stress of work.

'Let me take you out tonight'. Heather looked up from her magazine, 'tonight?' Naya nodded, smiling. 'Please let me.' Heather nodded. 'Sounds good to me.'

She hadn't been herself since she got back from San Francisco. She still tried to be the Heather everyone knew and loved, but it wasn't her. Naya had noticed the change minutes after they got back; resistant to her touch, quiet, closed and distant. She knew there was no point in pushing her to talk. She had explained what had happened with her mother, and made it clear that she didn't want to speak of it again. Naya respected that; she just had to do her best to protect her.

Later in the evening, the couple had been seated in a restaurant close to their new home. The conversation was flowing, although it was clear that both girls were refusing to address the elephant in the room. Heather closed her menu with a snap. 'I think you should order for me.'

'Hm?' Naya looked up from behind her menu.

'Order for me? Like you wanted to before. Pick something you think I'll like.' Naya smiled, looking back down at her menu with an expression of faux concentration on her face.

She scanned the list of dishes intently. Heather was nothing if not adventurous with food; she and Naya were similar in that they just liked to eat. Spotting something she would normally go for, but Heather would ignore, she smiled across the table at the blonde. 'Okay, this is making me nervous' she whispered, smiling a genuine smile for the first time in a few days, 'maybe next time I should order yours?' Naya laughed; 'of course, baby.' Once the waitress had taken Naya's whispered order, she reached across the table and took Heather's hand. It felt so good to be able to be so open about their relationship; she felt so free. Surprisingly, the blonde didn't move as fingers reached and interlocked with her own. Naya smiled, looking the girl straight in the eye.

'Okay, so I've got one eggplant lasagne…' Naya gestured to her own place setting, the waitress put the still sizzling plate down in front of her, '… and I've got one Butterfish with extra sauce?' Heather looked directly at Naya and pointed to herself as if to say mine? The brunette nodded and the waitress put the plate down in front of her. 'Okay, talk me through it.'

'Butterfish is like, amazing. My friend's grandma was Japanese and she used to cook it a lot. The sauce is ginger and jasmine, which I'm sure you'll love too. Just eat and tell me what you think.' Heather smiled before taking her cutlery and digging in to the meal in front of her; Naya's enthusiasm was infectious.

'Oh my God' she exclaimed after a couple of mouthfuls. Naya smiled, 'nice?' Heather nodded. 'You have to try it. It's like an orgasm on a plate.' From the looks she was getting from other customers, she may have said it a little too loud. 'Okay, let me try' Naya said, once she had stopped laughing at her girlfriend's adorable awkwardness. Seductively, Heather gathered some of her food onto her fork and leaned in, her hand hovering underneath it for support. Naya smiled as she swallowed and opened her eyes. 'Yummy'.

Their plates were clean and their bottle of wine was diminishing fast as the pair were distracted from their conversation by a timid cough coming from behind them. 'Excuse me?' asked an equally shy voice, 'I'm sorry to disturb your meal.' The girls smiled at the young girl stood before them, the napkin in her hand shaking like a leaf in the breeze. 'My step mom said that if I finished my meal and I was polite, I could come and ask you guys for an autograph?'

'Of course. Do you have a pen?' The girl handed her a pen, still shaking. Naya took the napkin and flattened it out. 'What's your name, sweetie?' 'Hannah.'

'That is a really cute name,' Heather said, smiling at the girl. 'How old are you, Hannah?' The girl looked up, thinking. 'I'll be nine next month' she answered with a smile.

Once the napkin was handed back to her, she smiled and thanked them both. An older woman walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, 'back to your seat now, honey'. The girl ran back, excited and grinning wildly.

'I just want to thank you girls for being so open and honest with the world. It is very refreshing to see such feminine, young girls standing up for yourselves. My eldest daughter is nineteen, and she came out to us a few months ago. We got to talking and she explained that, without your storyline, she wouldn't have had the strength to say anything at all.' Naya smiled at the woman. She got a lot of fan mail from young girls detailing similar things.

'Wow, nineteen. I'm only just coming to terms with it and I'm a little older than that!' Heather smiled; Naya had been so strong throughout all of this. She was so grateful that they got their happy ending. 'Just let her know that it's amazing that she is being so strong. A supportive family is an amazing thing to have. Some people aren't that lucky.' Heather tried hard to disguise the sadness in her voice. The woman thanked them and returned to her table.

'Heather, that was a really sweet thing you just said.' Naya's eyes showed how genuinely touched she was by the girl reaching out to help others in her situation. 'Well, I know first-hand that it's not always easy to be yourself.' Naya took her hand, 'true.'

'I think I'd like to do something soon. I don't know whether you think it's a good idea, but I need closure. ' Naya looked up at the girl, clearly confused, but allowed her to continue. 'I think I should speak to my sister. What she said about my Dad was so hurtful, and I think she probably regrets it. I don't want to force her into making things right, or into supporting the way I live my life, but I feel like I should at least be able to have my say.' Naya squeezed her hand; 'do you want me to come with you?' Heather shook her head, 'no. I have to do this alone.'

Heather pulled up at her sister's house early the next morning. With two young daughters, she knew that Crystal would have been up for hours. Her brother in law's car had gone, which meant that they would be free to talk. The girls loved their Auntie Heather, and she hoped that they would be a useful barrier if anything kicked off. She tentatively knocked on the door, unsure of what would happen.

Crystal was still dressed in her pyjamas when she opened the door. 'Heather? What are you doing here?' The tone to her voice was more surprised than angry. 'I just wanted to talk to you. Face to face?' The girl nodded; 'oh, okay. If you can watch the girls, I'll go up and get changed. Lucy's down for a nap and Amber is in the TV room.' Heather nodded and walked further into the house. In front of the TV, a tiny blonde girl was dancing along to Princess and the Frog while her sister was fast asleep in her playpen.

'Hi sweetie. Having fun?'

The little girl swung around and raised her arms, wanting to be picked up. 'Auntie Glee!' Heather laughed; 'Heather' was still too difficult for her to say, so she went with the thing she knew her best for. By the time Crystal came back into the room, Heather had the girl bouncing on her knee and telling her about how she was going to be going to pre-school because she was a big girl now.

'She always talks about you, you know', the voice took Heather by surprise. Crystal walked further into the room and perched on the arm of the sofa. 'You're a superhero to her.' Heather smiled softly. 'For how much longer?' was all she could think. 'Sweetie, do you want to go and play with you doll's house? I need to have a chat with Auntie Heather in the kitchen.' The girl nodded and ran upstairs to her bedroom. 'Come on. I'll make us some tea.'

Heather walked into the kitchen, gratefully taking the mug of tea that was pressed into her hands. 'Mom told me about what happened.' Heather stared into her cup, not wanting to say anything. 'How is she?' she mumbled, just to break the silence. 'Upset. She kept saying things about religion and betrayal. About how you're not her daughter. It was really horrible to listen to.' Heather looked up; 'just as horrible as it was hearing you tell me how much my father would hate me?' Crystal's face dropped. Reaching out, she took Heather's hand. 'I am so sorry about what I said.'

'That was just about the film. I'm guessing mom told you about Naya and I dating and moving in together?' Her sister nodded. 'Yes, she did. I can't say I was surprised. After the party, I knew something was going on. The way you two look at one another… It's clear how you feel.'

'And how does that make you feel?'

'It doesn't matter how I feel. As long as you are happy, and you are sure this is what you want then I'm here for you.'

'Really?'

'I know that we might have different views on things, Heath. The life I envisioned you having is the same one that I have made for myself; a nice husband with a stable job, a family home, kids. What I said to you about Dad was so wrong, and I am really sorry. He loved you, and I'm sure he still would. We have to stick together, we always have done and I love you so much. It might take a bit of getting used to on my part, but I am willing to accept that Naya is your girlfriend now, and that you love her in exactly the same way that I love my husband. Mom might take a while to start thinking like I have, but she'll get there eventually. You just have to be patient with her. And in the meantime, if you ever need to talk about anything at all, you know where I am. I'll always be here for you, baby sister. Always.'

Heather stood up and walked around to her sister. Pulling her into a warm embrace, she whispered 'thank you.'

'Mommy, can we have a snack?'

'Of course, baby. Do you think Auntie Heather would like a snack too?' The little girl clambered up and set herself down on her mother's knee. 'Yes, I think so please.' Heather's heart felt so full; her family were so important to her. She was glad she was keeping just a little part of it together.

Half way through her snack of apple juice and banana slices (chosen by Amber, who was sat opposite her and smiling wildly), a thought dawned on Heather. 'Does April know about all of this?' Crystal nodded, 'yeah. You know April, nothing catches her out. She loves Naya and says she's very happy for you. I told her what had happened between us at the party and she was the one who made me realise that I was letting myself get too involved. I think she's tried to talk some sense into mom as well, but I have no idea how that's gone.'

The apartment was quiet when Naya finally got out of bed. Heather had left early in the morning to drive to her sister's house, leaving her alone for the day. There wasn't a lot to do at home; they hadn't been there long enough to make any real mess, so she didn't have much to clean. The TV was on in the background but there wasn't really anything she wanted to watch. By lunchtime, knowing that Heather probably wouldn't be back for a while, Naya had decided to cook away her boredom. Heather would want something comforting to eat when she got back, she figured, so she set to work on dinner and dessert.

The phone rang as she was putting the finishing touches to a batch of cupcakes. It confused her; only a handful of people had the number to their home phone since they predominantly were out of the house. Of those people, this was a number she only half-recognised.

'Hello?' she answered sheepishly.

'Hi… Could I speak to Heather?' The voice on the other end of the call was equally as timid.

'She's out of the house at the moment. Can I take a message?'

'Naya?' Naya finally recognised the voice.

'Mrs Morris. I'm sorry, but she's not here.'

'It's fine. I'll go. I don't even know why I called.'

Before the woman could hang up, Naya began to speak. She wasn't entirely sure what possessed her to open her mouth and talk, but the words kept coming and she didn't want to stop them.

'I love her, you know.'

The silence on the other end was excruciating.

'And she loves me… I just thought you should know.'

'I know'.


	15. Chapter 15

With the phone sat back in its cradle, the room fell into silence. She hadn't meant to hang up as abruptly as she did, but there was something in her voice that she couldn't take any more. The tone of disdain, of disapproval and of sadness almost broke her there and then. With a hand clutching the crucifix around her neck, she laid back and closed her eyes. Her family had been torn apart once in the most terrible way possible. When they prised her away from his bedside that night, she vowed that nothing would break them again. No matter what happened, they would always be there for one another.

It had taken a long time for her to get back on her feet, to repair the voids that had been left when he was ripped from her side. The world was different when she was able to see it properly again. The girls were getting older; moving out, moving on. She felt like a child some days. They protected her the way she used to protect them.

Sooner or later, there were only the two of them left. Her and Heather. They were closer than most sisters; they were the best of friends. There were no secrets between them, even when she decided to go to college. Every worry, every hope, every dream was something she shared with her mother. The older girls had their own lives now. Stable, happy lives. Heather was always the wildest, the one who would want to run away and dance for a living. She wouldn't settle for a desk job until she had exhausted every possibility of finding herself a career in dance. It was what made her so special.

When she moved to LA, they tried to speak as much as they could. 'One text a day' was Heather's rule; just so that she knew everything was fine. She found a job, a good one. She was making it in LA, just like she always said she would. The conversations never grew shorter; they always had so much to say. They still shared their secrets like they always had…. Except for one.

Jeannie opened her eyes and wiped a tear from her cheek. Picking up her cell from the table next to her, she flipped it open and began to type:

'call me when u get this. I need 2 talk 2 u. luv u always. Mom xoxoxo'


	16. Chapter 16

Mom?' Heather could feel her hand shaking as she held the phone to her ear. She had only just walked through the door when she received the text from her mother so, after a quick kiss to Naya's cheek, she had run to their bedroom to call her.

'Heather?' The worry in her mom's voice was audible.

'Hi mom. You asked me to call?'

'Yes. I.. I wanted to speak to you. I called the house earlier but Naya said you weren't in.'

'Yeah. I went to see Crystal and the girls. Just to talk about… stuff.'

Jeannie resisted the temptation to make meaningless small talk and ignore the point of the phone call; she had to say something.

'I'm glad you went to see her. It's kind of the reason I wanted to speak to you. I need to apologise to you for what I said.' Heather breathed a sigh of relief.

'April talked some sense into me. She reminded me of the fact that you are always honest about yourself and what you want. She made me see that you are the only one who made this… choice. I was wrong to believe that you had been changed by something or someone else; you would never let that happen.'

Heather nodded. The one time she had let LA dictate her, she ended up with two ugly surgical scars on each side of her chest; one putting the breast implants in, the other taking them out.

'I can't pretend that this is the life I envisioned for you as my daughter. And I will always maintain that it is not God's way of life.'

Her heart sank in her chest.

'But you are my little girl and I love you. You ARE my daughter and nothing will ever change that. Now, I am prepared to accept you and Naya as a couple if you love her the way she says you do.'

Naya hadn't mentioned the phone call, there hadn't been time. But telling her mom that she loved her must have taken some serious balls.

'I do love her, mom. More than I knew I could.'

'Thank you. I'm glad you told me that again.'

'I'm glad you listened.' It was all she needed to say. Her mom had been listening to her for her whole life; there wasn't much they didn't share. 'I hope you understand that I'm serious about her. I know it might be hard, but you're gonna have to get to like her. I know it might sound scary, but you're my mom and we share everything. This is the girl I am going to love for the rest of my life.'

Jeannie smiled, recognising the gumption of her youngest daughter in her tone.

'I will, sweetie.'

Naya smiled to herself. Stood outside the bedroom, she had heard every word her girlfriend had just said. She admired her strength and her belief in what she was saying; how faithful she was in the longevity of their relationship. The way in which she stood up for what she believed was one of the things Naya had fallen in love with first. 'I told her I loved you'. Heather looked up, the cutest look of confusion spreading across her face. 'Your mom. When she called earlier, I jumped in and told her that I loved you.' Naya moved across the room and sat next to Heather on the bed. 'I don't think I'm ever going to stop feeling like this about you.' Heather took her hands in hers and smiled.

'I hope you never stop. I want us to be like this forever.'

'Me too.'

'I thought you might be sad when you got home, so I made cupcakes.' Heather couldn't hide the smile on her face; Naya was the cutest when she was worried about her. 'You are amazing' she said with a smile. 'Everything finally feels like it's going to be okay. My sisters and my mom mean a lot to me and to know that they understand how I feel about you is important. '

Naya nodded; the concept of family was one she understood well.

'Since my dad… well, I don't think I could live without them.' Heather felt a tear in the corner of her eye. Naya leaned in and kissed it away as it rolled down her cheek. 'We're going to be okay. I love you.'

After dinner that evening, the couple decided to take a walk around their new neighbourhood. Hand in loving hand they wandered around, not caring who caught them on camera or tweeted about who they had seen. Their phones were switched to silent; this was about the two of them and nobody else.

They took a few wrong turns, but eventually they found the perfect spot to sit and admire the California sunset. The light was spectacular; bathing the hills that surrounded them in a deep shade of amber. 'I never realised that we had something so beautiful so close to the city' Naya said, resting her head on Heather's shoulder. 'It's pretty amazing' the blonde agreed; it reminded her of home and brought her peace.

'I know where we can get a better view.'

Heather wasn't sure why Naya was leading her down these roads. Surely the best view was going to be from further along the bank they had been stood on? She didn't want to ask her why they were headed back the way they came; had she just forgotten something? The key clicked in the lock and Naya ushered Heather back into the house. 'Come with me' she said, taking her by the hand and walking her across the living room. With the curtains pulled back and the door open for the first time since they had moved in, she understood completely.

'We agreed the light was amazing when we moved in.' Heather smiled and pulled the smaller girl closer to her. 'We were right' she whispered. Naya relaxed into her arms; 'I could stay here forever.'

'Outside?' Naya chuckled at Heather. 'I meant in your arms.' Heather nodded, leaning forward and taking a breath of Naya's scent from her hair. 'Me too' she whispered.

The sun had gone down, so they made their way back inside. Naya wasn't sure what this mood was that had overcome her this evening, but it was beautiful. With a glass of wine in hand, she leaned into Heather. 'I meant what I said about forever'. Heather smiled, 'me too.'


	17. Epilogue

It felt like not a second had gone by since they fell in love. The truth was that time could never change their feelings because they fell in love all over again every moment of every day. On the anniversary of their first kiss, Heather would always leave a latte and an éclair for Naya. And every anniversary, she would watch as the woman she loved took a bite and smiled. She was always sure to leave a smudge of cream on her nose for Heather to kiss away.

They watched the film a few times, just to remind themselves of how they began. The night Naya proposed, she watched it alone in their room so that she could recreate the perfect picnic blanket on the balcony. Once she had said yes, Heather watched it with her as they curled up together in bed. She tried her best to find something different about the way Naya had set it up, but she couldn't find a thing. It would be impossible, Naya confessed, she had even gone to the same supermarket they used for props.

Ashley made a film for their wedding day. She cut clips together to create a montage of their cutest moments. Whenever Ashley was around, she had been capturing them on film. Watching it back brought a flood of joyous memories and tears of happiness. As the film cut to the kiss scene, Heather glanced nervously at her mom and sisters. They smiled up at her from their table on the ballroom floor. She had nothing to be worried about.

Once their children were old enough to understand, they asked about the lattes and the éclairs, the way they smiled at 'vanilla bean' and the jokes about finding love in a coffee shop. Naya found the box containing the DVD of their film and let them watch it. The four of them curled up on the sofa together under a huge blanket, Naya's hand held tightly in Heather's.

It was a story they loved to tell. The story of how they fell in love. Heather would talk of changing the script so that she got to kiss the girl she felt so strongly for. Naya would explain how she realised it was love. The two of them would smile as they recalled how their love had stood the test of time. Years had gone by, but it still felt as though it had all happened just yesterday. Their children had passed on their fairy tale to their own children.

'You were the most wonderful couple I had ever known.'

'We loved each other.'

'And everyone loved you. You changed a lot of people's opinions about what it meant to love. What it meant to love another woman.'

'Love is love.'

Heather Morris held out her hand for the woman stood beside her. She couldn't bring herself to speak any more, instead immersing herself in the scene on the TV. She had found the DVD in an old box whilst cleaning and watched it on repeat. It made her feel young again to see herself so sprightly and blonde. Their bodies may have changed over time, but the glint in her eye was still the same. The dark haired girl on the screen took a sip of the coffee. Heather mouthed along with her own voice, 'almost.' As the pair kissed, she tightened her hand around the one she was holding.

'Do you miss her?' Heather's eyes met those of the young nurse still stood next to her. 'Every day.'


End file.
